PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – The vice presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed the electoral calculations of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), warning that the party’s control of over 30 state governors will not prevent its defeat in the 2027 general elections, describing it as a fatal political misjudgment amid widespread citizen disillusionment, the party announced in Port Harcourt on Thursday, September 3, 2026.
Kwankwaso delivered the critique during a town hall meeting in the Rivers State capital, where he joined NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi to engage civic groups, professionals, and grassroots youth organizations on the joint ticket’s national development agenda.
Okay News reports that the former Kano State Governor and Defence Minister directly challenged the assumption that executive incumbency at the subnational level guarantees electoral victory, stressing that governance failures have eroded public trust across the country.
Kwankwaso drew attention to the North, asserting that several incumbent governors have presided over worsening economic dislocation and rural banditry to the extent that they can no longer freely face their electorate to solicit votes.
“Because they think they have over 30 governors, they thought they cannot lose the election. It’s a very big mistake, especially those in the northern part of Nigeria who have performed woefully to the extent that it’s difficult for them to come out to campaign. People are very angry; insecurity is everywhere,” Kwankwaso declared to loud applause from the audience.
The NDC vice presidential candidate argued that historical precedent in Nigerian elections demonstrates that an agitated, determined electorate will always supersede the political machinery of state governors who fail to deliver security and basic socioeconomic welfare to the populace.
The interactive town hall featured comprehensive presentations by Peter Obi, who outlined the ticket’s roadmap for reducing out-of-school children, dismantling systemic poverty, supporting small and medium enterprises, and transitioning the national economy from debt-fueled consumption to high-yield industrial production.
Following the conclusion of the evening consultative sessions, Obi and Kwankwaso departed Rivers State on Thursday night, continuing their nationwide grassroots tour to build strategic alliances across the geopolitical zones ahead of the 2027 election campaign cycle.
