Isaac Samuel
Former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has revealed that northern political leaders held strategic consultations before arriving at a consensus to work with Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso said the decision followed careful assessment of possible political partners, adding that Obi emerged as the most suitable candidate for a broad-based opposition alliance.
He dismissed claims of internal rivalry within the emerging coalition, insisting the arrangement was based on trust, competence, and shared political interests rather than personal ambition.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Kwankwaso explained that the North deliberately engaged in discussions to identify a credible partner capable of strengthening the opposition’s chances in 2027.
“I looked around together with our leadership in the North to say, who do we think is capable? Who can come and work together with us honestly so that we can move this country? Along the line, we realised that Peter Obi is at the forefront of it. That’s why we all accepted to work together”, he said.
Kwankwaso, a two-term governor of Kano State and former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said the alliance reflects a long-standing tradition of North–South cooperation in Nigerian politics.
He noted that both he and Obi had recently joined the New Democratic Coalition (NDC) after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has been facing internal disputes.
Obi, former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023, remains one of the most prominent opposition figures with strong youth and urban support across the country.
Kwankwaso also dismissed suggestions that the alliance could be undermined by a silent struggle for dominance between both camps.
“The problem people are having, especially leaders, is that they are too greedy to the extent that they begin to have issues. There is so much to do. You don’t have to fight your deputy,” he said.
He cited his past political experience in Kano State and at the national level as evidence that effective collaboration between leaders is possible.
Kwankwaso further referenced earlier political arrangements in Nigeria, including partnerships between the North and Southeast during the First and Second Republics, arguing that the current alliance is a continuation of that tradition.
He stressed that Obi’s selection was not based on regional sentiment but on a collective judgment of capability and political strength.
“It wasn’t just because we are going to the South-West. No. We realised that Peter Obi is at the forefront of it, and that’s why we all accepted to work together,” he said.
The alliance between Kwankwaso and Obi has already begun reshaping opposition politics, with defections and realignments expected to intensify as the 2027 elections draw closer.
