Kwankwaso Says Tinubu’s Governors Lack Power Compared to 1999 Era

Vice presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said governors serving under President Bola Tinubu are not as powerful as governors were when Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.

Kwankwaso made the statement during an interview on Arise Television, where he also discussed governance, the conduct of state governors and the political situation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Kano State governor said he did not envy governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, under the Tinubu administration.

According to him, governors in the current political dispensation have less control than their counterparts in 1999, when elected state executives were more influential within their respective political structures.

“Governors are not in charge. Today’s governors are not as powerful as governors were in 1999,” Kwankwaso said.

He alleged that some governors become less receptive to advice after assuming office, saying they sometimes enter Government House believing they have defeated everyone.

Kwankwaso also criticised the way some governors allegedly manage public resources, claiming that some spend government funds in ways that benefit their relatives and associates.

“They spend money the way they want to with their brothers and sisters and family, and so on. And then, at the end of the day, it becomes a huge problem,” he said.

The NDC chieftain also linked the issue to the conduct of some governors who, in his view, lack sufficient political and administrative experience before assuming office.

He argued that effective governance requires political experience, consultation and willingness to learn, adding that governors should avoid making decisions without considering the consequences.

Kwankwaso’s comments come amid increasing political activities ahead of the 2027 elections, with the NDC positioning itself as an opposition platform and campaigning on issues including governance, economic reforms and the cost of living.

He had also criticised the Tinubu administration’s removal of the petrol subsidy, saying the policy had contributed to the economic difficulties faced by Nigerians. He said the NDC would pursue a different form of subsidy and invest in domestic refining if elected in 2027.

The former Kano governor’s comments on state governors add to the broader political debate over the relationship between federal and state authorities, the autonomy of governors and the management of public resources as parties prepare for the 2027 polls.