As the clouds begin to gather ahead of the 2027 general elections, a political strategist, Alwan Hassan, has identified obstacles the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) must contend with if the party wants to gain an upper hand in the North ahead of the polls, news.ng reports.
In an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time late Tuesday, Hassan predicted that the APC may lose key states, particularly in the North—Kano, a state considered a ‘Swing State’ following recent activities there.
This news platform on Monday reported the defection of Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a former Governor of Kano State, from the New Nigerian People’s Party to the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
It is expected that Kwankwaso, leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, with its presence predominantly in Kano and neighbouring states, will be followed by his supporters wherever he pitches his tent.
To make matters worse for the APC, a former governorship candidate of the party in Kano, Nasiru Gawuna, on Tuesday resigned from the party.
Analysing the developments, Hassan, who is affiliated with the APC, said, “Kano is a big game for us, the APC. Kano is a big game for us because if we’re able to get Kano, with all the big players, we have like 3.5 million votes,” he said, emphasising the state’s electoral weight.
Predicting an unfavourable outcome for the party, Hassan cautioned, “So if we lose Kano to Kwankwaso, we’re in trouble.”
Analysing the pattern of defeat for the APC, he noted, “We have lost it this time too. We lost it 2023. We lost it 2019. And we’re going to lose it in 2027. We’ve lost it,” pointing to the years of influence Kwankwaso has in Kano, he described him as “a master of the game in Kano.”
On the rift between Kwankwaso and his successor, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, the strategist noted, “Kwankwaso had issues with Abdullahi Ganduje after Kwankwaso had given it to Ganduje. But he was his deputy twice.
“So, it’s not just Kano politics… I think it’s a norm in our states. The issue is we’ve lost a big win. We’ve lost an opportunity to give a win to ourselves 10 months to the elections of 2027.”
Watch the interview below:
