Kano State’s former Governor and National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said any consideration to join the All Progressives Congress must come with clear assurances on the future of the Kano State government and the welfare of party supporters.

Kwankwaso stated this on Wednesday at his Miller Road residence in Kano during a meeting with leaders and supporters from Rano and Dawakin Tofa Local Government Areas, alongside other Kwankwasiyya groups who reaffirmed their commitment to the party.

“I didn’t say I won’t join APC, but we must first be clearly assured of the future of the Kano State government before we join the APC. What will be the fate of our lawmakers and other supporters before we agree to defect?” Kwankwaso said.

The former governor recalled past experiences when members of his faction contributed to forming governments only to be later sidelined.

“In the past, we joined and contributed to forming the government, but later, we were abandoned. That was why we left the party. Have they now changed their position toward us? Everyone knows the role we played at that time,” he added.

Kwankwaso stressed that no assurances had yet been given to guarantee the continuation of the party’s political structure.

“Up till now, no one has given me a clear assurance that we will be allowed to retain our government and continue with our political structure. I need to know where I stand,” he said.

It was gathered that the meeting was attended by the state Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo; the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Yusuf Kofar Mata; the state NNPP chairman, Hon. Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa; and other top party officials, who publicly expressed their loyalty to Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasiyya Movement.

Observers said the show of support by key government officials highlighted a widening divide within the party and reinforced Kwankwaso’s influence amid ongoing speculation over Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s potential defection to the APC.

Political analysts said Kwankwaso’s cautious stance underscores the importance of securing party structures and protecting the interests of loyalists ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Ayodele Fayose, former governor of Ekiti, says President Bola Tinubu will not ditch Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), for Siminalayi Fubara, Governor of Rivers, to resolve the political crisis in the state.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Fayose said Tinubu values loyalty, political strength and influence, noting that the president would not sacrifice Wike’s standing for Fubara.

“Let me say this to Nigerians: the Asiwaju that I know, the president of Nigeria that we know, will not get rid of a Wike for a Fubara,” Fayose said.

“Wike came from Rivers to support President Tinubu. Wike is performing [as FCT minister]. We never had it so good in Abuja, even a blind man can’t deny that.

“At this stage of his life, even when he is no longer the minister of FCT, Wike is a man who has done well for himself in the political space. You will always need Wike. Let me tell you the truth.”

Fayose advised Fubara to reconcile with Wike by honouring the agreement he signed with the FCT minister.

“I want to advise Governor Fubara again. Please, Fubara, I am begging you, go and make certain amends and be at peace,” he said.

Fayose also commented on the title of “001” in Rivers politics, warning Fubara against challenging Wike’s authority.

“There’s a difference between the office and 001. What brought about the 001? Who gave you the platform to call yourself the 001? It is a sad narrative for Governor Fubara to be struggling. Rather, he should manage the situation.

“Even if Wike is saying he is the leader, it is not to the mouth of Fubara to be contesting that. We all know the truth,” he said.

The former governor appealed directly to Fubara to seek peace and reconciliation. “Let me tell you again. I want to advise Governor Fubara again. Please, Governor Fubara, I’m begging you, go and make amends and be at peace.”

Responding to claims that Fubara had already apologised to Wike, Fayose distinguished between genuine remorse and apologies made merely to calm tensions.

“Those people leading on Governor Fubara, if Governor Fubara goes down today, they will run away. People who were saying I should fight back those days, they were not there when I was isolated and when I was alone,” he said.

Fayose added that Fubara must learn from past political lessons.

“The emergency rule was all-winning for Governor Fubara. By now, Governor Fubara would have been history because the moment you are impeached, you’re out of the way. You can’t contest. If you read the context of President Tinubu, he took the governor, Governor Fubara, to the cleaners. It is time for Governor Fubara to learn. Learn the way I learned my lesson after my first tenor,” he said.

He concluded by urging Fubara to respect both constitutional obligations and Political mentorship. “The Constitution is binding on you, binding on me and binding on Rivers people. That is the more reason why Governor Fubara, I’m saying it again, climb down from his high horse, look for his brother, his leader, the man who was thoughtful enough to say among all you brides, I will marry you, come to the office of the governor.”

Wike began campaigning against Fubara’s re-election in December after accusing the governor of reneging on an agreement they both signed before Tinubu lifted the emergency rule in Rivers State.

Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, aligned with Wike, had also accused Fubara of spending state funds without approval.

Last Thursday, the lawmakers initiated impeachment proceedings against Fubara and Ngozi Odu, the deputy governor of Rivers, over allegations of “gross misconduct”.

Fayose, who was impeached in 2006 during his first term as governor, said people advising Fubara to move against Wike would abandon him if the lawmakers impeach him.

“If Fubara goes down today, they will run away. People who were saying I should fight back those days were not there when I was isolated. I was alone,” he said.

Fayose said Tinubu has a strong aversion to ingratitude and places a premium on loyalty.

“It is time for Governor Fubara to learn. Learn the way I learned my lesson after my first tenure,” he said.

Fayose added that Wike’s influence is crucial to the All Progressives Congress (APC) electoral victories in Rivers and the FCT.

Governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the south-east have endorsed President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid, pledging to mobilise bloc votes across the region for the ruling party in the 2027 general election.

Hope Uzodimma, governor of Imo, alongside Peter Mbah of Enugu and Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, led the endorsement.

“What could be more momentous than a motion that heralds the adoption of President Tinubu as the consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, given the growth and stability our economy has witnessed under the Renewed Hope administration, which has in turn stimulated progressive expansion across other critical sectors,” Uzodimma said.

The endorsement was announced at the south-east APC stakeholders’ meeting tagged ‘Izu Umunna’ in Enugu.

Party leaders, lawmakers, and elders from the zone resolved to fully align with the ruling party at the centre.

They described the decision as a shift towards pragmatic and interest-driven politics.

In a statement by the media office of the Enugu governor, the leaders said they would resist the balkanisation of the region’s votes by individual ambitions.

They warned that such actions had historically weakened the south-east’s bargaining power at the national level.

Uzodimma, chairman of the South-East governors’ forum, said the region could no longer afford political isolation.

He said Tinubu had placed faith in the south-east ahead of 2027.

“Politics is pay as you earn,” Uzodimma said.

“No zone can produce a president alone. If we continue to vote provincially, we will remain on the sidelines of national power.”

Uzodimma recalled that the zone contributed about six per cent of votes to the APC in the 2023 presidential election.

He said the figure weakened the region’s influence compared with other zones that delivered between 34 and 54 per cent of votes.

The Imo governor said the APC now controls three of the five south-east states.

He said the party’s representation in the Senate has increased from six to eight seats.

Uzodimma added that the APC’s seats in the House of Representatives in the region have grown from eight to 23.

“These numbers give us hope, but they also give us a challenge. The growth among leaders must reflect at the ballot box in 2027,” he said.

Mbah described the endorsement as a “paradigm shift grounded in pragmatism”.

He said the decision was driven by tangible gains accruing to the region through alignment with the federal government.

Mbah cited the revival of the eastern railway corridor, gas and energy projects, and the concession of the Enugu airport.

He said the interventions would position Enugu as an international gateway to the south-east.

“The Renewed Hope Agenda is beyond a political slogan,” Mbah said.

“It is about aligning vision at the centre with delivery at the states.”

Nwifuru expressed confidence that all South-East governors would be APC members by 2027.

He urged party leaders to embrace reconciliation and manage the influx of new members effectively.

A motion endorsing Tinubu for a second term was moved by Pius Anyim, former Senate president.

The motion was seconded by Ken Nnamani, another former Senate president.

“If you cry in the rain, nobody notices you. If you want to avoid the rain, you must stand under a shelter,” Nnamani said.

At the end of the meeting, a communiqué signed by governors and stakeholders declared Tinubu the APC’s sole presidential candidate for 2027.

The communiqué rejected what it described as ego-driven and divisive politics.

Leaders pledged to deploy human, material and political resources to deliver bloc votes for Tinubu across the five south-east states.

Other attendees included Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, former governors Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Ikedi Ohakim, senators, lawmakers and party elders from the zone.