Kwankwaso: Obi Popular Across South, North

Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has described former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi as a popular politician across southern Nigeria and many parts of the north, while claiming that his political movement delivered about two million votes for Obi during the 2023 election cycle.

Mr Kwankwaso made the remarks in an interview with Trust TV on Sunday, where he argued that politics should not be based on religion or region but on competence and political experience.

“Peter Obi will be from the South-East for whatever reason. Today, he is a very popular human being and a politician in the entire South and many parts of northern Nigeria,” Mr Kwankwaso said.

He stated that nobody could take away Mr Obi’s popularity, adding that the Kwankwasiyya movement also enjoys widespread support across the country, particularly among young people.

“We are lucky that our supporters are mainly young men and women who are looking for a way out. They are not looking for their brothers or sisters or somebody close,” Mr Kwankwaso explained. “We supported him, bringing about two million votes for him, until he left. I don’t think he wanted to hear us in the villa. We are Northerners, we are Muslims, and everybody knows that.”

According to the former governor, politics in Nigeria cannot succeed without inclusiveness. He also reflected on his tenure as defence minister under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying that competence rather than ethnic or religious proximity should determine political support.

“It is not like your neighbour, your brother or somebody who is of your religion, is the best for you. No, look at people of capacity, people who can deliver,” Mr Kwankwaso stated.

His comments follow the decision of the New Nigeria Democratic Congress (NNDC) to zone its presidential ticket to the South for a single four-year term ahead of the 2027 elections.