KWANKWASO AS VICE PRESIDENT WILL BENEFIT NIGERIA, AREWA MORE THAN ATIKU AS PRESIDENT — ISLAMIC CLERIC

November 3, 2026 • Dons Eze • 2 min read

An Islamic cleric has said Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)’s 2027 vice-presidential candidate, would deliver greater benefits to Nigeria and Northern Nigeria, popularly known as Arewa, as Vice President than African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar would as President.

The cleric made the statement in a video shared by ABS Reporters TV, where he discussed the political positions of Kwankwaso, Atiku and other prominent figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to him, both Arewa and Nigeria would benefit more from Kwankwaso serving as Vice President than from Atiku becoming President, arguing that the former Kano State governor could make a greater contribution to the country from the number two position.

He also compared Atiku to the incumbent Bola Ahmed Tinubu, suggesting that having the former Vice President lead the country would not produce the benefits he believes Kwankwaso could deliver.

The comments come amid political realignments and growing discussions over opposition strategies, presidential candidates and regional power rotation ahead of the 2027 elections.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State and former Minister of Defence, is the running mate to Peter Obi, the NDC’s 2027 presidential candidate.

The former Kano governor has also publicly advised Atiku against pursuing another presidential ambition, arguing that the South should produce Nigeria’s next leader in line with the principle of power rotation.

Kwankwaso recently warned that presenting another northern presidential candidate could create confusion within the opposition, insisting that the South’s turn should be respected before power returns to the North.

The cleric’s remarks have added to the ongoing debate over the political roles of Kwankwaso and Atiku in 2027, particularly regarding the interests of Northern Nigeria and the direction of opposition politics ahead of the election.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.