Kwankwaso says Obi ticket about national balance

NDC vice-presidential candidate Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso says his decision to run alongside Peter Obi in 2027 is driven by national balance, equity and the need for democratic change.

Vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, says his decision to run alongside Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election is driven by national balance, equity and the need for democratic change. Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor, said his experience since the 2023 election had given him a better understanding of Obi and convinced him they could work together.

He said the arrangement would allow the South to retain the presidency for another term before power returns to the North. Kwankwaso said consultations with members of the Kwankwasiyya and Obidient movements also influenced the decision. He cited Nigeria’s security challenges, economic hardship, declining agricultural productivity and poor infrastructure as reasons for supporting the alliance. He said the ticket would combine regional balance, competence and credibility.

The Obi-Kwankwaso ticket represents a significant attempt to unite the opposition. The combination of Obi’s Southern support base and Kwankwaso’s Northern following could create a formidable force against the APC. The focus on regional balance is an attempt to address concerns that the ticket would be perceived as a regional project. The success of the alliance will depend on whether the two movements can unite behind the ticket.

This echoes the 2014 opposition coalition that formed the APC, which also brought together regional and ideological interests. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: an attempt to build a coalition to defeat the ruling party.

The winners: the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, which has a chance to challenge the APC; and the Nigerian public, who may have a more competitive election. The losers: the APC, which faces a more united opposition; and the Nigerian public, who must hope the coalition will deliver better governance.

Bottom Line: Kwankwaso says the Obi ticket is about national balance. The coalition is taking shape. The question is whether it can win or remain divided.