You Can’t Blackmail Tinubu Out of Power in 2027 Like Jonathan, APC Chieftain Kwankwaso Tells El-Rufai
A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, Musa Ilyasu Kwankwaso, has strongly criticised former Kaduna State Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, accusing him of deploying what he called “blackmail and lies” in an alleged attempt to weaken President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.
PulseNets learnt that Kwankwaso, in a statement issued to journalists in Kano on Tuesday, described El-Rufai’s political strategy as both outdated and ineffective. He cautioned that the same political playbook once used against former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 could not be recycled to unseat Tinubu.
Kwankwaso told PulseNets, “You cannot remove President Bola Tinubu from power in 2027 by attempting the same manipulative strategy you applied against former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, capitalising on poverty, insecurity and economic hardship. Nigerians are wiser today. Your blackmail is too obvious and will fail.”
The APC stalwart emphasised that Tinubu’s government had made notable progress in security and the economy, crediting National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, for steering critical improvements in tackling banditry and restoring confidence in volatile regions. He alleged that El-Rufai was unhappy with these gains because they undermined his political calculations.
He further challenged El-Rufai to provide verifiable evidence to support his allegation that the Tinubu administration was sponsoring banditry and other forms of criminality. Kwankwaso said, “If El-Rufai has proof of such serious accusations, let him make it public. Otherwise, he should stop making reckless statements and allow this administration to continue delivering for Nigerians.”
According to details obtained by PulseNets, Kwankwaso accused El-Rufai of deliberately trying to incite the northern region against Tinubu’s government. However, he insisted that northerners were not gullible and had recognised progress made in security hotspots such as Birnin Gwari in Kaduna, parts of Sokoto, and Borno State.
The Kano APC chieftain dismissed the coalition being quietly built by opposition figures as “a failure,” arguing that personalities like Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and Nasiru El-Rufai had “nothing meaningful to offer Nigerians.” He asked pointedly, “Who among them achieved half of what Bola Tinubu has accomplished when they had the opportunity to govern?”
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Kwankwaso also highlighted recent victories by Nigeria’s security forces, noting the arrests of several notorious bandit and terror commanders in the North. He maintained that such breakthroughs proved that the Tinubu government was making tangible progress and deserved more support from citizens.
He concluded by urging Nigerians to rally behind the administration, while rejecting what he described as “all forms of deliberate blackmail orchestrated by frustrated opposition politicians.”
