Former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said that he and other stakeholders of their party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), agreed that he would serve as the running mate to his former opponent, Peter Obi, in next year’s presidential election, with the presidency expected to return to the North in 2031.
Kwankwaso, the former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general elections, made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with Explorer English on weekend.
He also expressed optimism that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar would join their coalition to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the forthcoming election.
He said he left the NNPP due to the crisis that engulfed the party.
“The government has destabilised the opposition. We were in the NNPP, but both the Kano State Government and the Federal Government fuelled various crises within our former party, particularly those relating to legal disputes,” Kwankwaso said.
He further explained why he accepted to be Peter Obi’s running mate rather than contesting the presidency in 2027.
“This is the decision of the party. The presidency has been zoned to the South, and I am not from the South; I am from the North. Therefore, we agreed that the presidency should go to the South, while the vice-presidential slot should come from the North.
“We also agreed that after four years, Peter Obi, our candidate, will return the presidency to the North. Consequently, I and other stakeholders agreed that I should serve as his deputy in this election,” he said.
“After four years, the opportunity will be ours, especially here in Kano. It will be historic because this may be the first time Kano State will produce a vice president. God willing, it will also pave the way for the state and the region to produce a president in the future,” Kwankwaso added.
Kwankwaso also spoke on the possibility of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar joining the coalition to challenge President Tinubu in the 2027 election.
“It will not be surprising if that happens. We still have almost eight months before the polls. Don’t worry, things will work out well,” he said.