Kwankwaso Questions State Officials on Tinubu’s 2027 Campaign Council

Vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has questioned the placement of serving public office holders on President Bola Tinubu's presidential campaign council ahead of the 2027 general election.

The leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement said the makeup of the council reflects the choice Nigerians will face at the polls.

In a statement posted on his verified social media page, Kwankwaso said government institutions require neutrality, integrity and public confidence, rather than active involvement in partisan politics.

He singled out the Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji, and the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Dr Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, over their roles in the campaign’s fundraising and finance structures.

Kwankwaso called on the Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to explain how placing senior officials in charge of public revenue and national finances inside a partisan campaign structure fits with the principle of institutional neutrality.

Questions Over Yari’s Dual Role As Senator And Campaign Chief

Kwankwaso also questioned the nomination of former Zamfara State Governor and current senator, Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General of the campaign council, asking whether Yari could lead the campaign in good conscience.

He said Yari, a prominent North-West leader, understands first-hand how insecurity, poverty, unemployment and displacement have affected communities in the region and across Nigeria.

“I wonder whether Yari could, in good conscience, lead a campaign aimed at securing the continuation of a government under which many Nigerians remained trapped in those challenges,” Kwankwaso said.

Kwankwaso said the campaign council is made up largely of political figures who have supported, defended or taken part in the current administration, arguing this leaves Nigerians to decide whether the APC offers a fresh direction or simply wants to keep the current system running.

He described the 2027 election as a contest between Nigerians battling economic hardship and those who have gained from, or helped sustain, the system responsible for that hardship.

Cost Of Living And Insecurity Take Centre Stage

Kwankwaso said households across the country are grappling with rising food prices and the cost of basic goods, while young Nigerians face unemployment and shrinking opportunities.

He also pointed to difficulties confronting farmers and small businesses, ongoing insecurity in parts of the country, and pressure on the education, healthcare and other public service sectors.

The former Kano State Governor called on Nigerians to use the 2027 election to demand accountable, people-centred governance, arguing that voters hold the power to reject continued hardship at the ballot box.

His comments add to an already intense build-up to the 2027 polls, in which opposition figures have increasingly questioned the composition and conduct of Tinubu’s re-election machinery.