Former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared his willingness to serve as running mate to Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election, in what appears to be a significant development within the growing opposition coalition.
Gatekeepers News reports that Kwankwaso made the disclosure during an interview on ARISE News PrimeTime on Monday night while addressing ongoing coalition discussions among opposition figures seeking to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
The former governor said Nigeria’s immediate concern should be competent leadership rather than debates over whether power should remain in the North or South.
“What is key now is not presidency from the North or from the South. What is key is to have quality leadership — people who are determined and committed to give the country the leadership it deserves,” he said.
Kwankwaso disclosed that coalition leaders had agreed that Southern Nigeria should complete another term before power returns to the North, describing the arrangement as necessary for political stability and opposition unity ahead of the next election.
According to him, Obi is gradually emerging as the coalition’s leading presidential figure following the decision of the National Democratic Congress to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
Asked whether he would accept the vice-presidential slot if Obi secures the coalition’s ticket, Kwankwaso said he was prepared to work with any Southern candidate chosen by the alliance.
“Yes, you can be sure. If the party decides that I should be the running mate of any candidate from the South, under the circumstances, I would be happy to work together with him,” he stated.
Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, described Obi as one of the few politicians capable of providing the leadership Nigeria currently requires.
“Personally, I cannot remember any better combination, no matter how much time you are given, to find those who can beat us in terms of doing the right thing for this country,” he added.
The former senator also said many Nigerians, especially youths, were increasingly shifting attention away from ethnic and religious considerations and demanding effective governance instead.
According to him, rising insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment and infrastructural decay had intensified calls for genuine political change.
“Young people are looking for the right leadership for this country, and I think they are absolutely right,” he said.
Kwankwaso dismissed concerns that an Obi-Kwankwaso alliance could weaken opposition support in Northern Nigeria, insisting that many citizens were more concerned about the country’s worsening conditions than regional politics.
He further revealed that the Obedient Movement and the Kwankwasiyya Movement had already been collaborating in different parts of the country before formal coalition talks gained momentum.
The former governor also criticised the ruling APC, accusing several governors and political office holders of being disconnected from the realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.
He argued that the 2027 election would be driven less by political structures or financial strength and more by public frustration over economic hardship and insecurity across the country.
