The Atiku Is For The People global movement has accused former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of allegedly working with FCT Minister Nyesom Wike to weaken Atiku Abubakar’s chances in the 2027 presidential election.
The group made the allegation in a statement signed in Abuja on Friday, September 11, 2026, following Kwankwaso’s reported comment urging Atiku to “go home” and retire from politics.
According to the movement, Kwankwaso’s political activities are aimed at fragmenting opposition votes, particularly in the North, to give President Bola Tinubu an advantage in the 2027 election.
The group also alleged that Kwankwaso’s political alliance with Wike was part of a broader arrangement to undermine Atiku while positioning Kwankwaso for a potential presidential bid in 2031.
The allegations, however, were not supported with documentary evidence in the statement.
The movement recalled that Kwankwaso rejected an alleged offer to become Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2023 presidential election, arguing at the time that he was better qualified to lead the country.
It claimed that Kwankwaso’s reported decision to accept the running-mate role for Obi ahead of the 2027 election represented a significant change in his political position.
The group alleged that the development was designed to draw northern votes away from Atiku and weaken the former vice president’s electoral base.
It further accused Wike of employing a similar strategy during the 2023 election by supporting political forces that allegedly reduced Atiku’s votes in parts of the North-Central region.
“Use the NDC to fragment the opposition, eat up Northern votes, block Atiku from winning, and deliver the 2027 Presidential election to President Bola Tinubu,” the movement alleged.
The group described the alleged political arrangement as “undemocratic and selfish,” insisting that Nigerians would reject any attempt to manipulate opposition votes for political advantage.
It also claimed that Kwankwaso had lost significant political support, alleging that some senators, members of the House of Representatives and governors had abandoned his political camp.
The movement urged Kwankwaso and Wike to support what it described as genuine opposition unity instead of pursuing political arrangements allegedly designed to benefit individual politicians.
It maintained that Atiku remained politically relevant and did not need retirement advice from his political opponents.
The group concluded by urging Nigerians to reject what it called the “Wike-Kwankwaso arrangement” at the 2027 polls.
Neither Kwankwaso nor Wike was quoted in the statement responding directly to the allegations.
