The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Coalition, Peter Obi, has named former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
Obi announced the decision on Saturday shortly after the party formally confirmed him as its presidential flagbearer during a special convention in Abuja. The event drew party faithful from across the country, including members of the National Working Committee led by former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson.
Kwankwaso, who leads a significant political movement with strong influence in Kano and other parts of Northern Nigeria, accepted the nomination and described the ticket as a union of purpose for the benefit of the nation.
Speaking at the convention, Obi said Kwankwaso would be a genuine partner and not merely a ceremonial deputy, a contrast he drew to the approach of the current government. He described the former Kano governor as a tested administrator with the capacity to assist in steering the country towards recovery.
The decision to pair Obi and Kwankwaso follows their recent defection from the African Democratic Congress to the Nigerian Democratic Coalition. Both men cited internal divisions and protracted court cases within their former party as reasons for the move.
Political analysts have noted that the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket brings together two prominent opposition figures with support bases across different regions of the country. Obi enjoys strong backing among many young voters and holds influence in the South-East and parts of the South-South. Kwankwaso, through his Kwankwasiyya movement, maintains a loyal following across several northern states.
The National Chairman of the NDC, Seriake Dickson, expressed confidence that the ticket would strengthen the party’s chances in the forthcoming presidential contest. He described the pairing as a strategic alignment that could reshape the political landscape ahead of the election cycle.
Neither Obi nor Kwankwaso took questions from journalists after the announcement. A joint statement from the party indicated that further details about campaign structure and policy direction would be released in the coming weeks.
The 2027 presidential election is expected to be fiercely contested, with the ruling party yet to announce its candidate. The emergence of the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket adds a new dimension to what is already shaping up to be a competitive race.
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