The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has said his decision to pick former Kano State governor and Kwankwasiyya Movement leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as running mate for the 2027 presidential election was driven by a shared commitment to tackle poverty through education and economic transformation.
Speaking in an interview, Obi said the partnership was founded on common values and a collective vision to rebuild Nigeria, insisting that both leaders were focused on delivering transformational governance rather than political convenience.
According to the former Anambra State governor, Kwankwaso’s long-standing emphasis on education and human capital development aligns closely with his own agenda for national renewal.
”We Have Synergy”
“Kwankwaso has the philosophy of pulling people out of poverty,” Obi said.
“I have the same philosophy. Kwankwaso believes in education. You cannot change society without education.
“If you look at my X, formerly Twitter, I made it clear that I will emphasise education. Education is going to change society.
“Nigeria must be seen to form its innermost human capital, which we need to develop. Kwankwaso believes in this. I do. We have synergy.”
”No Cracks In NDC Ticket”
Obi dismissed speculation of disagreements between him and Kwankwaso, saying reports of internal cracks within the NDC ticket were unfounded.
“I don’t know why people talk about differences between people who are working together. Have you ever seen us quarrelling?
“You see, people quarrel even in offices because of transactional governance. The country is in a mess because of transactional governance. I am not into transactional government. I am into transformational governance.
“We want to change the society and make it better. We want to pull people out of poverty, not the other way around,” he said.
From ADC Coalition To NDC
Obi and Kwankwaso, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2023 presidential election behind President Bola Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, initially participated in a broader opposition coalition under the ADC.
Their eventual move to the NDC followed internal disputes and legal challenges within the ADC, leading the two politicians to establish a fresh political platform ahead of 2027.
Responding to why an alliance did not materialise before 2023, Obi said: “Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. The past is gone. We are talking about the present.”
He also rejected concerns that merging supporters of the Obidient Movement and Kwankwasiyya Movement could cause division.
“We do not just have large followers alone. People are gravitating to what is right. How are we going to manage them? We have no problem whatsoever. We want to change the society. Our followers want a changed and better society,” he added.
The NDC alliance is expected to be one of the major political blocs challenging for power in the 2027 general election.
