Nigeria’s political panorama might bear a seismic shift forward of the 2027 basic elections, with experiences suggesting that Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Individuals’s Occasion could have tentatively agreed to run as Peter Obi’s vice-presidential candidate beneath an African Democratic Congress coalition.
The potential alliance has shocked many Nigerians, with some describing it because the “excellent alternative” for the much-discussed Atiku Abubakar–Peter Obi ticket that by no means materialised.
“IF IT WORKS OUT, I THINK IT WILL BE THE EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD; NOBODY EXPECTED KWANKWASO TO SUCCUMB TO BEING THE NUMBER TWO MAN AFTER HE HAD INSISTED SO VEHEMENTLY IN THE PAST THAT HE WOULD NOT ACCEPT A VICE-PRESIDENTIAL ROLE.”
In Kano, Kwankwaso’s house state, some stakeholders argue that his political affect has considerably waned, portraying him as more and more irrelevant to the state’s present political actuality.
Political observers, nevertheless, consider the self-styled strongman of Kano politics might strengthen his legacy by aligning with a high-profile determine like Obi, who typically refers to Kwankwaso as his brother.
Discussions round a potential Obi–Kwankwaso ticket started earlier than the 2023 presidential election however collapsed as a result of each males couldn’t agree on who ought to emerge because the presidential candidate.
One main impediment to their alliance was the query of who was extra influential and politically certified.
In January 2023, throughout an occasion at Chatham Home in the UK, Kwankwaso publicly claimed he was extra educated than Obi, citing his educational {qualifications} to claim superiority.
“I’m a PhD holder in Civil Engineering. I verify your candidate (Obi) for what he has. I’ve been within the system for over 30 years now. I used to be a civil servant for 17 years. I wasn’t a dealer like Obi,” he mentioned.
Kwankwaso additionally defined that he withdrew from alliance talks with the Labour Occasion as a result of, based on him, the celebration was carried away by media hype surrounding Obi’s recognition.
He additional alleged that the Labour Occasion was constructed on ethnicity and faith.
After the Impartial Nationwide Electoral Fee introduced the 2023 presidential election outcomes, Obi secured 6,101,533 votes, profitable in 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Kwankwaso, regardless of a weak nationwide displaying, received 36 of the 44 native authorities areas in Kano, securing 997,279 votes out of his whole 1,496,687 nationwide votes.
Months after the election, Kwankwaso stirred controversy by insisting that he was extra appropriate as Obi’s working mate than Atiku Abubakar, who served as his vp from 1999 to 2007.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a identified ally of Obi, supported the previous Anambra State governor throughout the 2023 elections, a call Kwankwaso brazenly opposed.
Kwankwaso, who served as Minister of Defence throughout Obasanjo’s second time period, criticised elder statesmen for endorsing candidates, describing such actions as a mistake.
“I need to advise our leaders to cease disgracing themselves. We have now a lot respect for them. In the event you say you don’t like me, no drawback,” he mentioned.
He added that elder statesmen ought to rise above partisan politics and conduct themselves as true statesmen slightly than politicians.
Some observers argue that Kwankwaso’s greatest problem forward of 2027 is how he intends to type or be part of a coalition beneath the ADC whereas sustaining management management of the NNPP.
Analysts observe that this may occasionally show tough as a result of the Kwankwasiyya ideology is extra deeply rooted within the NNPP than within the ADC.
Different stakeholders insist that Kwankwaso has grow to be a spent pressure inside the NNPP and is progressively dropping the loyalty of even his staunch supporters, together with Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Yusuf, in a strategic transfer to safe his re-election, has reportedly joined the APC alongside almost all influential political workplace holders within the state.
In the meantime, Obi has additionally come beneath scrutiny, with rising skepticism about his skill to mount a robust problem in opposition to President Bola Tinubu within the 2027 elections.
Critics argue that Obi’s recognition has declined since his 2023 presidential bid.
An APC chieftain, Biodun Ajiboye, shares this view, stating that the political state of affairs of 2023 is completely different from that of right now.
He argued that the APC now controls 28 governorships nationwide and that the celebration’s efficiency in authorities will affect voters.
Ajiboye claimed that Obi not instructions the extent of followership he as soon as loved, significantly within the South-East.
He added that the political panorama has modified and that Obi not has whole management of the area.
A Port Harcourt-based analyst, Sylvester Enefeli, described a possible Obi–Kwankwaso ticket because the eighth marvel of the world if it will definitely materialises.
Enefeli famous that whereas the ticket is probably not significantly formidable, it might give Obi much-needed penetration within the North.
He warned, nevertheless, {that a} defeat in 2027 would severely harm Kwankwaso’s political legacy.
In response to him, it might be higher for Kwankwaso to lose as a presidential candidate than as another person’s working mate.
Enefeli concluded that whereas Kwankwaso as Obi’s working mate could also be stronger than Obi’s 2023 selection, Datti Baba-Ahmed, failure on the polls might mark the top of Kwankwaso’s political relevance.