Factional leaders of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State, El-Jibril Doguwa and Hashimu Dungurawa, have cautioned against dragging former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, into speculations surrounding President Bola Tinubu’s running mate for the 2027 general elections.

The NNPP chieftains also dismissed widespread rumours suggesting that Kwankwaso was planning to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the reports as “baseless political propaganda.”

In a chat with Sunday Punch, Senator Doguwa acknowledged Kwankwaso’s political pedigree, stating that the former Defence Minister is “capable of holding any political position in this country.”

However, he warned against putting pressure on President Tinubu over the choice of a new vice-presidential candidate.

Doguwa said, “Let’s not push Mr. President into making a decision that could be wrong for this country. When the time comes, and he has studied the political system in this country, then things will fall into place.”

“Even now, Kwankwaso is not in the APC, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in the APC. There are many people in the APC who also think they are capable of holding the position of Vice President, and there’s the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket, or a Muslim-Christian ticket. All these are political matters that Mr. President needs to look into.”

Echoing similar sentiments, the other factional chairman, Hashimu Dungurawa, dismissed reports linking Kwankwaso to the APC as unfounded and politically motivated.

“There is no such move. Kwankwaso is not joining the APC,” he stated flatly.

Dungurawa, however, acknowledged that the widespread speculation about a possible Tinubu-Kwankwaso ticket in 2027 stems from Kwankwaso’s rising political influence and public goodwill.

“A lot of these speculations and predictions are coming because of the integrity and goodwill that our leader has built over time,” Dungurawa said.