The two factional chairmen of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in Kano State, Hashimu Dungurawa and Senator El-Jibril Doguwa, have cautioned against dragging a former governor of the state, Rabiu Kwankwaso, into the ongoing debate over President Bola Tinubu’s running mate in 2027.

They also dismissed the report that Kwankwaso was planning to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

In the past few days, speculation has been rife, with many political analysts linking Kwankwaso to President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid.

The speculation gained further ground on Friday after the resignation of the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje, which many claimed was intended to create space for Kwankwaso in Tinubu’s camp.

Wilfred Ndidi: Why I Bring Stars to Ajegunle's Maracana Fest0:00 / 1:01

How Ecstatic Ajegunle Welcomes Victor Osimhen At Maracana Fest Lagos0:00 / 0:00

Although no official announcement has been made by either the Presidency or the APC regarding Tinubu’s next running mate, some observers believe that bringing Kwankwaso into the frame is part of Tinubu’s strategy to secure votes in the North-West region in 2027.

However, in separate interviews with our correspondents on Saturday, close associates of Kwankwaso cautioned against the ongoing debate over Tinubu’s running mate.

They noted that although their leader remained qualified for the vice-presidential ticket, raising the issue at this time could spark political tension in parts of the country.

Doguwa stated that despite Kwankwaso’s competence for the VP slot, Tinubu should not be pressured into any hasty decision over his next VP slot, cautioning that doing so might bring serious consequence.

“Kwankwaso is capable of holding any political position in this country, there’s no doubt about that. But let’s not push Mr. President into making a decision that could be wrong for this country.

“When the time comes, and he has studied the political system in this country, then things will fall into place. So, what I’m saying is, we’re trying to rush into issues that could end up troubling the country politically. Let’s be patient,” Doguwa said.

“Even now, Kwankwaso is not in the APC, and Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in the APC. There are many people in the APC who also think they are capable of holding the position of Vice President, and there’s the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket. There’s the issue of a Muslim-Christian ticket.

“All these are political matters that Mr. President needs to look into before he even starts thinking about whether Mr. A or Mr. B should be his Vice President,” the former Senator added.

On his part, Dungurawa described the speculations linking Kwankwaso to APC as “baseless political propaganda.”

“There is no such move. Kwankwaso is not joining the APC,” he said.

Dungurawa also emphasised Kwankwaso’s ability and political fame, attributing this to the growing speculations linking him to Tinubu’s 2027 Vice Presidency race.

“A lot of these speculations and predictions are coming because of the integrity and goodwill that our leader has built over time,” Dungurawa said.