Shettima: Kwankwaso's Ally Speaks on Possibility of Tinubu Offering VP Slot to Ex-Kano Governor

• Speculation of a rift between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima has been noted
• Ahead of the 2027 election, some APC chieftains claimed that President Tinubu may dump Shettima in favour of any other northern politician
• Amid the rumours, the spokesperson for the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, disclosed that there have been calls for former presidential hopeful Rabiu Kwankwaso to accept the Vice President’s slot of the APC if offered such

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria.

FCT, Abuja - Ladipo Johnson, a spokesperson of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has spoken on the possibility of President Bola Tinubu offering Rabiu Kwankwaso a vice-presidential (VP) role.

Legit.ng recalls that in 2015, Kwankwaso was a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Then in July 2018, Kwankwaso, alongside 14 serving senators of the APC, defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In 2022, Kwankwaso abandoned the PDP and joined the NNPP. He contested and won the presidential primary held in Abuja later that year.

During the 2023 election, Kwankwaso secured fourth place with nearly 1.5 million votes.

Likelihood of Kwankwaso as Tinubu's deputy

As Nigerians look forward to the 2027 election, Johnson is not ruling out the possibility of the former Kano state governor agreeing to work with Tinubu in the next poll.

Johnson spoke on Channels Television’s 'The Morning Brief' programme on Monday, June 30, in a programme monitored by Legit.ng.

He said:

“It’s not insulting to offer him (the vice president slot); whether he accepts or not is a different thing."

Furthermore, Johnson said APC members have messaged him about the possibility of an alliance between the Kano political gladiator and the president.

Johnson, an ally of Kwankwaso, said:

“I’ve been with Senator Kwankwaso since 2013, 2014 and it’s always about the beliefs of the moment and whether those you are going to get involved with would allow you or make sure that such things happen.

“Yes, there are rumours at the moment but it is a possibility because after the 2023 elections, we said we were open to discussions with anyone who wants to move forward.

“People from the APC have called me to say: ‘Oh, if he is offered, please encourage him to accept’ but when it comes to the party, it is a team game.”

Legit.ng reports that a political storm is brewing within the ruling APC amid growing speculations over the fate of VP Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential race.

The rumour that President Tinubu may consider replacing Shettima as his running mate ahead of the 2027 election reached a boiling point this June.

Read more on Kwankwaso:

• Ganduje mentions what he will do if Kwankwaso decides to join APC
• 2027: Kwankwaso meets APC’s Barau Jibrin, Pius Anyim at Abuja Airport, “defection or strategy?”
• “NNPP is dead”: Ganduje alleges Kwankwaso is seeking political redemption in APC

'How Ganduje’s resignation saved him'

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a chieftain of the APC in Kano, Alhassan Yaryasa, said Abdullahi Ganduje’s resignation as the party’s national chairman would help him avoid imminent disgrace.

The former coordinator of the Tinubu Campaign Organisation for Kano South described Ganduje’s resignation as a wise and timely decision. He claimed there were strong indications that Ganduje would have been forced out had he not resigned from his position.

Source: Legit.ng