A former Governor of Kano State and chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has declared his readiness to serve as running mate to Peter Obi or any southern candidate that emerges as the party’s presidential flagbearer ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Kwankwaso made the declaration on Monday during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he reaffirmed his commitment to party supremacy and the zoning arrangement recently adopted by the NDC.
According to him, the collective decision by the party to zone its presidential ticket to the South was taken in the interest of fairness, equity and national cohesion, stressing that all stakeholders within the coalition agreed to respect the arrangement.
“I’ll be very happy to be Peter Obi’s running mate or anybody that the party decides to be its flagbearer from the South. Party supremacy remains paramount. The decision to zone the ticket to the South was collectively accepted by all of us,” Kwankwaso stated.
His comments are already generating widespread political reactions across the country, especially among supporters of both leaders who are regarded as two of the strongest grassroots mobilisers in contemporary Nigerian politics.
The development is seen as a major signal of growing unity within the opposition coalition seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), commands a large following in northern Nigeria through his Kwankwasiyya political movement, particularly across Kano and parts of the North-West.
Peter Obi, on the other hand, emerged as a dominant political force in the South and among young Nigerians during the 2023 election through the OBIdient Movement.
The conversation around an alliance between both politicians has persisted since after the 2023 elections, especially following repeated calls by opposition supporters urging major political actors to unite against the APC in 2027.
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