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By Lawrence Agbo
A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has said the proposed Peter Obi-Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso presidential ticket is driven by a vision of national unity and development rather than ethnic or religious considerations ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE NEWS, Galadima described the alliance as a “healing ticket,” arguing that it is designed to rebuild trust between the North and the South-East while addressing the country’s long-standing divisions. He said the partnership represents a deliberate effort to move Nigeria beyond the grievances of the past.
“It is our belief that this is the only ticket that can salvage Nigeria. Not only salvage it, but it is a ticket we call the ‘healing ticket,’ designed so that we can forget the past. We decided as a people—at least Senator Kwankwaso and myself—that we will attempt to heal the wounds of the past. We will make every sacrifice possible to bring about this healing between the Southeast and the North,” Galadima said.
According to him, the alliance is not about promoting an Igbo presidency but presenting Obi as a leader for all Nigerians. He added that both he and Senator Kwankwaso have spent years working to strengthen relations between the North and the South-East, insisting that reconciliation is essential for national progress.
Galadima also said Obi had committed to tackling key challenges affecting the country, particularly insecurity, agriculture and education, if elected president. He noted that members of the alliance would actively participate in implementing policies aimed at addressing those issues.
“I can bring up Dr. Simon Okeke. You know Dr. Simon Okeke is a highly respected figure around this part of the country, the former Chairman of the Police Service Commission. You ought to know him; he is an outstanding leader. I have been on this project with him for over two and a half years, and it has yielded some results. For the last year, can you point out to me one prominent Igbo leader who has gone out to campaign solely for an ‘Igbo presidency’? We are making Peter Obi a Nigerian president, not an Igbo president.
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“When elections like this approach, issues usually emerge from the Southeast, or people are attacked, or perhaps southeasterners are targeted elsewhere. Can you remember the last time there was a serious skirmish between northerners and southeasterners in either region? Is that not a credit to the work some people have done? If you do not communicate, you cannot understand each other. And this is what we have set out to heal. We have looked at several issues. What are the problems of Nigeria? We specifically zeroed in on the problems of the northern region, part of which is security, part of which is agriculture, and part of which is education.
“Peter Obi has agreed that if he becomes the President of Nigeria, he will not only address these three issues personally, but he will make us part of those who will work on these issues. If the government fails, it would not be Obi alone; it is us who were part of trying to see what can be done about security in northern Nigeria,” he maintained.
Defending the ticket against criticism, the NDC chieftain questioned why supporters of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should fault the alliance, pointing out that Atiku had previously selected running mates from the South-East.
“We have been called several names: ‘Oh, you are bringing an Igbo man.’ Unfortunately, it’s not only the ruling APC government criticizing us, but even some opposition political parties. Instead of fighting our common opponent, which is the APC and its government, we are fighting ourselves.
“We ask: Where did we get Obi from? We got Obi from Atiku. He was Atiku’s vice-presidential candidate. Atiku ran with Senator Ben Obi as his vice-presidential candidate, he ran with Peter Obi as his vice-presidential candidate, and he ran with Ifeanyi Okowa as his vice-presidential candidate. Now we are hearing he might run with another south-easterner as his vice-presidential candidate. So, can anybody supporting Atiku be justified in denigrating us by claiming that we are wrongly promoting Igbo people?”, he questioned.
He maintained that the Obi-Kwankwaso partnership is centred on Nigeria’s future and not on ethnic identity.
He further pledged that the alliance would prioritise job creation, agricultural development, skills acquisition and economic recovery, arguing that the country needs practical solutions rather than politics based on tribe or religion.
