2027: Kwankwaso downplays Modu’s Sheriff’s remarks on Obi’s northern popularity

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice presidential candidate for Nigeria's National Democratic Congress (NDC), has publicly dismissed assertions that Peter Obi, the Labour Party's presidential candidate, lacks electoral appeal in northern Nigeria for the 2027 elections. Kwankwaso, speaking on Channels Television, characterized the claims made by former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff as an attempt to "impress our brother in the Villa" rather than an accurate reflection of the region's political landscape.

“

I’ve heard him when he was here. I can tell you he’s not serious about it; he just wanted to impress our brother in the Villa to convince him that he’s working.

Kwankwaso, who is also a former governor of Kano State, asserted that Sheriff's assessment of Kano politics was misleading. He stated that his own political influence in Kano remains strong, despite Sheriff's suggestions of division. "Even the worst enemy would tell you Kwankwaso has Kano," he remarked, adding that he prefers to be underestimated, allowing him to work effectively while opponents are complacent.

“

Even the worst enemy would tell you Kwankwaso has Kano, but the point he wanted to make is that Kano is divided. I am not one of the politicians who go out bragging. In fact, most of the time, I feel happy when people underrate me on what I can do because it sends people to sleep while you’re working.

The NDC candidate argued that the political sentiment in Kano and across northern Nigeria is significantly different from Sheriff's portrayal. He pointed to Peter Obi's performance in the 2023 presidential election as proof of his enduring popularity. "Peter is not a new person in terms of running for election in northern Nigeria," Kwankwaso said. "He ran with Atiku Abubakar; we've seen what they got. In the last election, he contested himself and he got over two million votes in northern Nigeria and, by whatever standard, two million is a huge number."

“

I can tell you, by the grace of God, the people of Kano State and northern Nigeria are completely different from what he was trying to paint here.

Kwankwaso concluded that Obi remains a formidable political force in many parts of the North, with his previous voters still supportive. "The fact remains that in many parts of northern Nigeria, Peter himself is very formidable and the people who voted for him last time are still around," he added.

“

Peter is not a new person in terms of running for election in northern Nigeria. He ran with Atiku Abubakar; we’ve seen what they got. In the last election, he contested himself and he got over two million votes in northern Nigeria and, by whatever standard, two million is a huge number.