Obi Picks Kwankwaso as Running Mate, Promises Equal Partnership in NDC Government

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has named former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election, pledging to run an inclusive administration built on partnership and shared decision-making.

Obi announced the choice at the party’s national convention in Abuja on Saturday, where he was formally affirmed as the NDC’s presidential candidate.

Speaking during the unveiling, Obi said a future NDC government would depart from the traditional structure in which vice presidents are relegated to ceremonial roles, insisting that Kwankwaso would be an active partner in governance.

“The government we intend to form will no longer be a government where anybody will say that the vice president is a spare tyre,” Obi declared.

“The vice president will be a partner because we want to build a nation where there are two equal people who work for the greatness of the country. Decisions will be taken as partners. Everybody will be consulted.”

The former Anambra State governor said his choice of Kwankwaso was informed by their shared vision for Nigeria, particularly in the areas of education, security and social inclusion.

According to Obi, the former Kano governor believes in creating opportunities for ordinary Nigerians and shares his commitment to building a more equitable society.

“He believes in education and security, and we will work together to ensure it happens,” Obi said while inviting Kwankwaso to the stage.

The announcement formally brings together two of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures, both of whom contested the 2023 presidential election on different platforms.

While Obi ran under the Labour Party and finished third, Kwankwaso contested on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), winning Kano State and finishing fourth in the national vote.

Their alliance under the NDC follows their defection from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) earlier this month, a move both politicians attributed to internal uncertainties within the party.

Obi also reiterated his earlier promise to serve only a single four-year term if elected president in 2027, saying his administration would focus on reducing the cost of governance, tackling waste in public spending and implementing key reforms.

Political observers say the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket could reshape the dynamics of the 2027 presidential contest by combining Obi’s support base in the South and among urban voters with Kwankwaso’s strong political influence in Kano and parts of northern Nigeria.