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Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has declared that he remains the most politically influential figure in Northern Nigeria, asserting that his electoral strength surpasses that of Rabiu Kwankwaso, Nasir El-Rufai, and Aminu Tambuwal.
Kwankwaso, El-Rufai and Tambuwal are the former governors of Kano, Kaduna and Sokoto respectively.
Atiku made the remarks on Wednesday during an interview on Arise News, where he spoke extensively about his political relevance, past electoral performances, and plans ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The former presidential candidate also downplayed Kwankwaso’s influence, arguing that his popularity is largely confined to Kano State and that he is now grappling with internal divisions.
“I’m more popular than all of them,” Atiku said. “Can you tell me among the current leaders in the North who has secured more votes than I have? You are talking of people like Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, and El-Rufai; none of them has garnered the kind of bloc votes that I have.”
He further argued that Kwankwaso’s political base is limited geographically and no longer cohesive, citing emerging divisions within Kano politics, particularly between the former governor and the incumbent, Abba Yusuf.
“Kwankwaso only got votes from Kano, and we respect that, that is why he is a leader in the coalition. But even Kano itself is now split between him and his own governor,” Atiku stated.
The former vice-president also highlighted what he described as an unprecedented political alliance cutting across major parties, including the ruling All Progressives Congress, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the Labour Party.
According to him, the coalition represents a new political direction for Nigeria, bringing together both experienced politicians and younger actors, with what he described as a “clear succession pattern.”
“What makes it different this time is that we now have a broad coalition, from APC, PDP.
NNPP, and Labour. That has never happened before,” he said.
Atiku added that the alliance provides him with renewed optimism about his political future, suggesting that the evolving coalition could reshape Nigeria’s electoral landscape ahead of the next presidential race.
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