Kwankwaso: Nigerians should allow Obi to complete southern presidential tenure

By Musa Baba Adamu

The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has explained why he shelved his presidential ambition in favour of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, saying the former Anambra State governor deserves the opportunity to complete the South’s turn in the presidency.

Kwankwaso said his decision was informed by Obi’s credibility, shared political beliefs and the need to ensure fairness in the country’s power-sharing arrangement.

He spoke while addressing journalists at his residence in Kano, where he maintained that Obi’s emergence as the party’s presidential candidate was a decision he willingly supported.

According to him, both politicians share similar political objectives and possess the capacity to manage the country’s affairs.

“I made a sacrifice for Peter Obi because he is credible and from the South. We have the same goals and beliefs. We are strong and can easily handle the country’s affairs,” he said.

The former Kano State governor also disclosed that he had contested the presidency three consecutive times but decided to step aside to allow Obi, whom he described as a Southern candidate, to lead the NDC’s presidential campaign.

Kwankwaso, who leads the Kwankwasiyya political movement, argued that allowing Obi to take over the presidency would uphold the principle of fairness in the country’s power-sharing arrangement.