Kwankwasiyya movement noted that Atiku’s popularity stemmed primarily from PDP governors and the party’s established structures.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Members of the Kwankwasiyya movement have reacted to a recent assertion by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, reminding him that only the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the former Kano State Governor, Rabi’u Kwankwaso, command organic support from Nigerians.
The message was conveyed ahead of the forthcoming 2027 general elections by the spokesperson for the movement, Habib Mailemo.
His comments followed a recent remark by Atiku, who claimed he is more popular than former governors Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal, and Nasir El-Rufai in northern Nigeria.
While appearing as a guest on Arise TV, the former VP insisted that no current or emerging leader in the region matches his political reach today.
Speaking during the interview, he said: “Can you tell me who is a current leader in the North who has more votes than I have? Talking of leaders like Tambuwal, Kwankwaso, El-Rufai, and also the emerging political leaders, none of them has got the northern vote as much as I’ve got.”
ALSO READ: Atiku claims Kwankwaso’s popularity is restricted to Kano
Responding via the same channel, Mailemo countered Atiku, noting that the followership enjoyed by Obi and Kwankwaso is rooted in personal conviction rather than political inducement or entrenched party structures.
He added that the Adamawa-born politician’s popularity came mostly from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) governors and the party’s established machinery.
Speaking on the programme, Mailemo stated: “It is only Peter Obi and my principal, Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who have organic followers that are not induced by anything.”
“Their aspirations align with the belief in their competence and proven track records, and the masses identify with them.”
