Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso has declared that the Peter Obi-Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket is the strongest combination ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso, the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress, made the claim during the News Agency of Nigeria Personality Interview Series in Abuja on Sunday. According to the former Kano State governor, the partnership combines political influence from different parts of Nigeria and gives the alliance the capacity to challenge every major contender in the 2027 race.
Kwankwaso said the decision to work with Obi was driven by the need to build a politically balanced platform capable of bridging Nigeria’s regional and religious divides. He argued that Obi’s strong following in the South, combined with his political base and influence in the North, gave the alliance a broad national reach.
“Nobody, no ticket, can beat our own in terms of credibility, capacity and, of course, love for the country,” Kwankwaso said. He also presented the alliance as one that understands the hardship facing ordinary Nigerians.
“Even in terms of empathy for the poor who are suffering across the country today, no other contender can match us,” he added.
The former Kano governor said his experience during the 2023 presidential election also played a role in his decision to work with Obi.
According to him, the political experience of that election enabled both men to understand each other better and provided a foundation for their current partnership. Kwankwaso said the alliance was ultimately about producing a ticket capable of bringing together different political constituencies rather than concentrating power around one region or religious bloc.
Kwankwaso said the current situation in Nigeria made political change necessary, pointing to insecurity, poverty and deteriorating infrastructure as some of the country’s major challenges. He also raised concerns about the difficulties confronting farmers and the wider impact of economic policies on households.
According to him, the removal of fuel subsidy had not produced the improvement in living conditions Nigerians expected. He further argued that farmers were facing additional pressure from cheap imported food, which he said was affecting local agricultural production.
Kwankwaso said the partnership involving the Kwankwasiyya Movement, the NDC and Obi’s supporters was designed to pursue a democratic transition similar to the political change witnessed in 2015.
He said the alliance was founded on the principles of fairness, justice and equity, with its leaders committed to improving the living conditions of Nigerians. The former governor maintained that the objective went beyond winning an election, insisting that the partnership was intended to provide an alternative political direction for the country.
Kwankwaso also addressed his acceptance of the vice-presidential position, saying his decision should not be interpreted simply as an ambition to occupy Nigeria’s number-two political office. He described the role as part of a broader commitment to national service. According to him, accepting the position was based on the need to contribute to a political project aimed at addressing Nigeria’s challenges and delivering what he described as meaningful democratic change.
With the 2027 election increasingly taking shape, Kwankwaso’s comments place the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket at the centre of the emerging opposition campaign, with the former governor projecting the alliance as a national coalition capable of challenging the established political order.
