National Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso warned in a Sunday interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that governors planning to use electoral manipulation and state structures to stay in power beyond 2027 will be disappointed.

The former Kano State governor explained that poorly performing governors are currently defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under the assumption that the party’s machinery will guarantee their re-election. However, he argued that widespread public dissatisfaction with severe insecurity, rising poverty, unemployment, and deteriorating public services will heavily influence voters’ decisions at the upcoming polls.

Kwankwaso emphasized that Nigerians are becoming far more politically conscious and are no longer easily swayed by official power. Consequently, citizens are likely to reject non-performing governors and politicians seeking another term, regardless of their control over government structures and resources.

“What I foresee in the 2027 elections is that most of the governors seeking re-election will be disappointed because people will not support them,” he said.

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso asserted that citizens have every right to demand better leadership, pointing specifically to the alarming number of out-of-school children and the devastating toll that rampant insecurity continues to take on communities across the nation. He emphasized that these critical failures in governance have left Nigerians deeply frustrated and eager for real structural change. According to the former governor, addressing these systemic issues of safety and education must be the primary focus of any administration looking to earn the trust of the electorate.

To demonstrate that effective governance is possible, Kwankwaso recalled how his own administration in Kano State heavily prioritized the education sector by expanding access for all qualified residents across primary, secondary, and tertiary levels. He noted that his government launched targeted programs to tackle the deeply rooted Almajiri challenge while simultaneously investing in massive educational infrastructure, including modern student hostels. By highlighting these past achievements, he argued that proactive investment in human capital and public infrastructure is the only sustainable way to address the nation’s current socio-economic crises.

Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso argued that his past administrative achievements prove that governments can vastly improve public welfare when state resources are properly managed and prioritized. He strongly criticized the massive wave of opposition politicians defecting to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), characterizing these movements as opportunistic attempts by politicians to gain unfair political advantages ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Despite these political maneuvers, the former governor expressed firm confidence that the ultimate power lies with the electorate rather than party structures. He emphasized that deeply aware voters will use their ballots to determine the actual outcome of the upcoming elections, rendering the defections and elite alignments useless.