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The vice-presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, has faulted ex-Borno governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, over comments dismissing the support base of NDC’s presidential candidate Peter Obi in Northern Nigeria ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Kwankwaso said he watched with disappointment the interview granted by Sheriff to Channels Television on Monday.
“After a prolonged absence from public discourse, one would have expected that time away might have sharpened Senator Sheriff’s judgment. Regrettably, that does not appear to be the case,” Kwankwaso stated.
He took issue with Sheriff’s claim that Obi cannot command sizeable support in the North.
“It is curious that he has appointed himself spokesperson for the Northern masses.
“For the record, in his first outing on the presidential ballot, Mr. Obi secured approximately 2.8 million votes in the region — a remarkable achievement that cannot be dismissed lightly,” Kwankwaso said.
He further argued that with the current national hardships and what he described as the widespread consensus on the failure of the APC administration, the proposed “OK ticket” remains a formidable force in Northern politics.
He said, “Given the current national hardships, the widespread consensus on the failure of the APC administration, and the addition of a strong Northern figure to the ticket who previously garnered 1.45 million votes in the region, the OK ticket remains a formidable force in Northern politics,” he said.
Kwankwaso also rejected Sheriff’s assertion that the people of Kano would not vote for Obi.
“Let me state clearly: the good people of Kano are neither bigoted nor xenophobic. They have consistently demonstrated strong trust in the Kwankwasiyya movement and will support any credible ticket presented under its banner,” he said.
He advised Sheriff to focus on pressing issues in his home state instead of making what he called divisive remarks.
“I respectfully advise Senator Sheriff that, in future national television appearances, he would do better to speak to the serious insecurity and humanitarian challenges facing his home state, rather than making divisive and poorly considered remarks,” Kwankwaso said.
He asserted that the “OK ticket” currently represents “the best opportunity for Nigerians to reset the country and place it on a path of competence, unity, and progress.”
