2027: Atiku lacks Buhari’s stature, acceptance to stop Tinubu – APC chieftain
An APC chieftain, Iliyasu Kwankwaso, says former VP Atiku Abubakar lacks the political influence and northern acceptance of the late Muhammadu Buhari to de Read More:…
Atiku Abubakar's repeated presidential ambitions have long hinged on his ability to consolidate northern votes, a bloc that the late Muhammadu Buhari commanded with unusual loyalty across his political career, particularly in the North-West and North-East. With the 2027 election cycle beginning to take shape and opposition figures jostling to position themselves as credible challengers to President Bola Tinubu, comparisons to Buhari's electoral base have become a recurring yardstick within APC circles for measuring whether any northern politician can mount a serious threat.
This particular claim comes from an APC chieftain in Kano, a state central to northern political calculations and one where intra-party and cross-party rivalries—including with figures linked to the Kwankwaso political camp—have historically shaped national electoral outcomes. The coverage from Punch and Leadership is consistent in attributing the remarks to Dr Musa Iliyasu Kwankwaso and in the substance of the claim that Atiku lacks Buhari's stature and northern acceptance; neither report yet details what specific strategy, alliance, or candidate the APC chieftain believes could better challenge Tinubu, nor how Atiku's camp has responded.