The Labour Party (LP) has welcomed an offer from Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) in the 2023 election, to serve as a running mate to Peter Obi in the upcoming 2027 presidential race. The announcement was made on Sunday and has sparked conversations across Nigeria’s political landscape.
Kwankwaso, who ran as a presidential candidate in the 2023 election, revealed his interest in becoming Obi’s vice-presidential candidate through a viral post on social media. This comes two years after a previous merger attempt between the LP and NNPP fell apart due to a disagreement over leadership roles.
During the lead-up to the 2023 election, there were discussions between the two political figures about forming a coalition, but neither Kwankwaso nor Obi was willing to step down as the lead candidate. This led to the collapse of the potential alliance, leaving both parties to contest the election separately. Peter Obi came in third place, receiving over six million votes, while Kwankwaso finished fourth, with just under 1.5 million votes.
In a video circulated on his official social media account, Kwankwaso, who is a former governor of Kano State, stated his conditions for joining forces with Obi. Speaking in Hausa, Kwankwaso said, “I’m bigger than Peter Obi politically; I’m his elder brother, I’m a PhD holder, I performed better than him when I was the governor of my state. I’ve no problem with deputising for Peter Obi, but only if certain conditions are met.”
Kwankwaso also mentioned his willingness to engage in discussions with Obi, provided that trust could be built between them. He said, “We are willing to engage in discussions, provided that trust is established.”
Reacting to this development, Labour Party’s National Secretary, Umar Farouk, in an interview with The Punch, described Kwankwaso’s offer as a positive step forward. Farouk acknowledged the value of collaboration but urged Kwankwaso to avoid making statements about being superior to Obi politically or academically.
He said, “As a political party, we stand for good governance and we have equally given all our candidates, both former and serving ones, the opportunity to choose how to associate with people of like-minds who share the philosophy and ideology of the Labour Party.
“We are happy Kwankwaso has alighted from the high horse he was riding and willing to offer himself to Obi as deputy having seen he garnered more than six million votes at the 2023 election. With his so-called popularity in the North, Kwankwaso could only amass less than two million votes.
“Again, he should stop this talk of being a bigger politician and PhD holder. What did he even do as a minister of defence? This is why we advise politicians to always consider tne dynamics of politics to gauge the temperament of the electorate at a particular time.
“Of course, we know what played out in 2023 will be different from 2027. It will be in the interest of Nigerians if Obi and Kwankwaso are willing to come together and wrest power from the APC government. But again, we know the sitting government will not go to sleep and allow the renewed move to work.”
