Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Vice-Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), says his decision to become Peter Obi’s running mate in the 2027 Presidential election is driven by national interest, equity, regional balance and the need for democratic change.
Kwankwaso, a former Governor of Kano State and former Minister of Defence, stated this on Sunday during the News Agency of Nigeria Personality Interview Series in Abuja.
He said his experience after the 2023 general elections had helped him to understand Obi better and convinced him that both politicians could work together to address Nigeria’s challenges.
According to him, the decision was taken after extensive consultations with members of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, supporters of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and the Obidient Movement.
Kwankwaso said the groups agreed that the country needed a balanced political ticket capable of attracting support from both the North and the South.
‘People learn every day and that is why experience is very important. In 2023, we attempted to work together and at that particular point, I knew little about Peter Obi.
‘But over these last four years, I was able to learn a lot and realised that Peter is somebody that I could work together with,’ he said.
The former governor explained that the alliance was also based on the understanding that the South would retain the presidency for one term after the completion of the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, after which power would return to the North.
He said Nigeria’s worsening security challenges, declining agricultural productivity, economic hardship and deteriorating infrastructure further reinforced his decision to support the alliance.
Kwankwaso expressed particular concern about the difficulties facing farmers in Northern Nigeria, noting that insecurity and other challenges had made agricultural production increasingly difficult and unprofitable.
He also decried the State of infrastructure across much of the country, observing that only a few areas, including Lagos, had witnessed significant improvements.
The former senator said Nigerians were in need of the type of democratic change they sought in 2015, adding that the demand for such change had become even greater.
He described the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket as a combination of regional balance, competence and credibility.
‘Nobody, no ticket can beat our own in terms of credibility, in terms of capacity and of course, in terms of love for the country; even in terms of empathy for the poor that are suffering across the country today,’ he said.
Kwankwaso also rejected suggestions that accepting the vice-presidential slot represented a political setback, despite having previously served as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, governor, minister and senator.
‘I have never been the vice-president. I think it is a step forward despite all the things you counted,’ he stated.
He stressed that his political decisions were guided by a desire to serve the national interest and ensure good governance for all Nigerians.