My regret over 2023 elections – Kwankwaso

The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has expressed regret over his refusal to form an alliance with the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the 2023 general election, noting that a united ticket would have given them an advantage at the polls.

Mr Kwankwaso made the remarks on Saturday in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, while addressing party supporters at the 360 Event Centre.

“I did not truly understand Peter Obi until now. Had I understood him better in 2023, we would have collaborated and ousted the All Progressives Congress from the presidency,” Mr Kwankwaso told the crowd, drawing cheers from the audience.

Background to Mr Kwankwaso’s remarks

Ahead of the 2023 race, Mr Kwankwaso reportedly declined to run with Mr Obi, saying at the time that he was more politically experienced and had higher academic credentials, including a PhD.

He ran on the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) platform, finishing fourth and winning only Kano State with 1,496,687 votes, while Mr Obi, running under the Labour Party (LP), finished third after securing 12 states, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with 6,101,533 votes.

In the February 25, 2023 presidential election, the opposition had three major contenders, helping the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, to emerge victorious.

Mr Tinubu won the presidency with 8,794,726 votes, defeating 17 other candidates.

The combined votes of Mr Obi 6.101,533 million and Mr Kwankwaso 1, 496,687 million votes totaled 7.598,220 million votes.

Mr Kwankwaso ran a nationwide campaign, but his electoral base remained concentrated in the North-west, particularly Kano State, where he secured 997,279 votes-nearly two-thirds of his total national vote count.

Mr Obi disrupted traditional two-party voting patterns by winning across the South-east, parts of the South-south regions, and Plateau, Nasarawa, and Lagos states, as well as Abuja (FCT).

Kwankwaso’s political perspective changed

At the event in Jigawa, Mr Kwankwaso stated that their partnership for the 2027 election marks a turning point for national development.

He disclosed an agreement within the NDC leadership that, if elected, he will head the Ministry of Education to drive reforms across the country’s institutions.

“I can confirm to you that Peter Obi has agreed that I will preside over the education ministry. This decision was reached after I presented the educational blueprint from my tenure as governor of Kano State, which aligns with Mr Obi’s track record in Anambra State,” he said.

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Mr Kwankwaso said the administration would ensure that children from underprivileged backgrounds have access to quality schooling, alongside plans to renovate public schools, recruit trained teachers, and supply modern instructional materials.

“I have already demonstrated this in public office. We sponsored over 3,000 Kano indigenes on foreign scholarships without borrowing from commercial banks, taking foreign loans, or owing contractors. That was made possible by curbing corruption, and that is our plan for Nigeria,” Mr Kwankwaso added.

He also criticised the current administrations of Kano and Jigawa states, alleging that both governors had deviated from governance centred on the public interest, and emphasised the historical ties between Kano and Jigawa.

He urged voters in Jigawa to support the NDC ticket to help produce the zone’s first vice president since independence in 1960.