Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi said he chose former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election because they share a common vision of reducing poverty through education and economic development.
In an interview with _The Sun_ newspaper published on Sunday, Obi said Kwankwaso’s philosophy closely aligns with his agenda for national transformation.
“Kwankwaso has the philosophy of pulling people out of poverty.
“I have the same philosophy. Kwankwaso believes in education. You cannot change society without education.
“If you look at my X, formerly Twitter, I made it clear that I will emphasise education. Education is going to change society.
“Nigeria must be seen to develop its human capital, which is essential for national development. Kwankwaso believes in this. I do too. We have synergy.”
Obi also dismissed speculation about divisions between him and the former Kano governor, saying the pair remained united ahead of the January 2027 general election.
“I don’t know why people talk about differences between people who are working together. Have you ever seen us quarrelling?
“You see, people quarrel even in offices because of transactional governance. The country is in a mess because of transactional governance. I am not into transactional governance. I am into transformational governance.
“We want to change society and make it better. We want to pull people out of poverty, not the other way around.”
Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, said he was focused on the future when asked why an alliance between him and Kwankwaso failed to materialise before the 2023 presidential election.
“Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. The past is gone. We are talking about the present.”
Responding to concerns about managing supporters of both the Obidient Movement and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Obi said both groups were driven by the same objective.
“We do not just have large followings. People are gravitating towards what is right. How are we going to manage them? We have no problem whatsoever. We want to change society. Our followers want a better and changed society.”
Obi and Kwankwaso finished third and fourth, respectively, in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election. Obi contested on the Labour Party platform, while Kwankwaso ran under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).
The two politicians later joined the NDC after initially participating in an opposition alliance formed in 2026, citing internal disputes and legal challenges within the coalition.