The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has asserted that the 2027 presidential ambition of former Kano State Governor and national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is effectively no longer viable.

Keyamo attributed this to existing party zoning arrangements, the steady decline of the NNPP’s political structure in Kano State, and Kwankwaso’s failure to align early with any of Nigeria’s major political parties ahead of the next general election.

In a statement shared on his official X handle on Sunday, the minister said Kwankwaso’s rejection of what he described as an earlier “olive branch” from the All Progressives Congress (APC) has left him politically isolated at a critical period when strategic alliances are already taking shape ahead of 2027.

“Kwankwaso boxed himself into a corner by rejecting opportunities when they mattered,” Keyamo said.

“Today, the political landscape has shifted, and no major party is prepared to accommodate his presidential ambition in 2027.”

He further argued that the NNPP lacks the national spread required to mount a successful presidential campaign, warning that even its influence in Kano State is weakening due to ongoing defections.

“NNPP is essentially a one-state party, and even that stronghold is slipping,” he said.

“Once Kano is lost, the claim of national relevance collapses.”

Keyamo also dismissed the likelihood of a North–North political alliance in 2027, insisting that Kwankwaso would be unwilling to support another northern presidential candidate, as doing so would effectively end his own ambition.

“He cannot support a northern candidate and then wait another 16 years for power rotation,” he said.

“That reality alone has closed the door on any cooperation with Atiku.”

According to the minister, Kwankwaso’s remaining political options—returning to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), joining the APC, or aligning with the Labour Party—would all require him to relinquish his 2027 presidential aspiration.

“No party will restructure itself around him at this stage,” Keyamo stated.

“The era when Kwankwaso dictated political terms is over.”

While acknowledging that 2031 could still present a potential opportunity, Keyamo stressed that such a scenario would depend entirely on Kwankwaso retaining political control of Kano State in 2027.

“If he loses Kano, he loses everything,” he added.

“That would relegate him to a regional footnote in national politics.”

“This is not meant to offer comfort,” the minister concluded.

“It is a warning. Kwankwaso’s next political move may determine whether he remains relevant or exits active politics altogether.”