A former Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu; the immediate Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Aderemi Olaniyan, a former Chief of Staff to the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, and Prof. Gbade Ojo, on Wednesday, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu need the National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples’ Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In the 2023 presidential polls, Kwankwaso was the standard-bearer of the NNPP and garnered over one million votes, winning Kano State. Following the defection of some political gladiators from the APC and the formation of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), there have been reports that Kwankwaso would be joining the APC.

Speaking on the development with The Guardian in separate interviews in Ibadan, Shittu, Olaniyan and Ojo said Tinubu and the APC needed Kwankwaso because of his electoral values to seal the president’s victory in 2027.

They noted that Kwankwaso’s presence in the APC would neutralise the influence of Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai and others who had left the party.

Shittu said, ”We need Kwankwaso in our party so that he can add over one million votes to our victory. If his one million votes are given to us, it will give more assurance to our victory and neutralise the impacts of those who have gone. His coming to the APC is to support our president so that the former Kano State Governor can be supported after President Tinubu’s eight years.”

Prof.Ojo said: ”El-Rufai is seriously mobilising in the North, perhaps, to inherit Buhari’s votes and he is trying to take advantage of the vacuum created by former President Buhari’s demise. Therefore, the APC needs Kwankwaso to serve as a counterforce to that move and neutralise the influence of Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai. Also, Kwankwaso is very popular in the North; his influence goes beyond Kano State. Even in Ibadan here, he has his followers and his red cap brand is a great movement with a strong electoral value. In the light of these, APC and President Tinubu need the former Governor of Kano State.”

On his part, Olaniyan said: ”The more, the merrier. His coming will be a plus for our party. The president can woo him and settle the differences between him and former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje so that we can have a united party in Kano State.”