Why I Chose Kwankwaso As My Running Mate – Peter Obi

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) _—- The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has explained why he picked former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking in an interview with The Sun published on Sunday, Obi said the decision was based on their shared commitment to reducing poverty through education and economic development.

According to him, Kwankwaso shares his vision of building a better Nigeria by investing in education and developing the country’s human capital.

“Kwankwaso has the philosophy of pulling people out of poverty. I have the same philosophy. Kwankwaso believes in education. You cannot change society without education,” Obi said.

He added that education would be a major priority of his administration because it is key to national development.

Obi also dismissed reports of a disagreement between him and Kwankwaso, saying they remain united ahead of the January 2027 general election.

“I don’t know why people talk about differences between people who are working together. Have you ever seen us quarrelling?” he asked.

He said his focus is on transformational leadership rather than politics driven by personal interests.

“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 society and pull people out of poverty,” he said.

Obi and Kwankwaso finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 2023 presidential election. Obi contested on the platform of the Labour Party, while Kwankwaso was the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

The two politicians later joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alliance in 2026 before defecting to the NDC, citing internal crises and legal disputes.

Asked why they did not form an alliance before the 2023 election, Obi said he preferred to focus on the future.

“Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. The past is gone. We are talking about the present,” he said.

On how he plans to manage supporters of both the Obidient Movement and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Obi said both groups share the same goal of building a better Nigeria.

“We have no problem whatsoever. We want to change society. Our followers want a changed and better society,” he added.