Atiku, El-Rufai Are Self-Centered, Politically Irrelevant – Kwankwaso

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Director of Finance at Hadejia Jama’are River Basin, Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso has criticized former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, labeling them as self-centered politicians with no real political influence ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking to journalists in Kano, Illiyasu dismissed the political relevance of the trio, asserting that their coalition lacks the capacity to make a significant impact in the upcoming elections.

“Let’s take them one by one. Look at Kwankwaso—what has he got to offer? He always hides behind the success of others to remain relevant. Just see what he is doing to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State,” Illiyasu remarked.

He accused Kwankwaso of putting his personal interests ahead of those of his supporters.

“It is well known that Kwankwaso aligns himself with people in power to enrich himself. That is exactly what he is doing with President Tinubu—sneaking into the Presidency regularly for personal gain, not for the good of others,” Illiyasu alleged, urging Kwankwaso’s supporters to be cautious. He claimed that Kwankwaso only fights for his own interests.

On Atiku Abubakar, Illiyasu questioned the former Vice President’s commitment to good governance, noting that many of his allies were part of the Buhari administration, which he criticized as a failure.

“Nigerians are wondering if Atiku truly believes in good governance when he is surrounded by politicians who supported Buhari’s eight years of maladministration, insecurity, and human rights violations,” he said.

Illiyasu further argued that both Atiku and Kwankwaso no longer have viable political platforms.

“The PDP is in a perpetual crisis, and Atiku does not control the party. Kwankwaso, on the other hand, has lost control of the NNPP after the court ruled in favour of the faction with the ‘fruits’ logo. So where do they stand politically?” he asked.

Speaking on El-Rufai, Illiyasu dismissed the former Kaduna Governor as a political nomad with no solid footing.

He said: “El-Rufai is nothing but a wanderer, jumping from pillar to post. How does he expect to achieve anything by joining the dead-on-arrival Social Democratic Party (SDP)?”