Rabiu Kwankwaso rebuts Ali Modu Sheriff on Obi's northern backing

Former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, who is Peter Obi’s running mate on the 2027 presidential ticket, responded to former Borno governor Ali Modu Sheriff’s claim that Obi cannot win support in Northern Nigeria. Kwankwaso highlighted that Obi secured about 2.8 million votes in the north during the 2023 election and argued that the current economic hardship and dissatisfaction with the ruling APC government improve the ticket’s prospects.

He also noted his own political weight, recalling the 1.45 million votes he garnered in the north in a previous election, and stressed that Kano voters are not tribalistic but have traditionally backed the Kwankwasiyya movement. Kwankwaso urged Sheriff to concentrate on security and humanitarian challenges in Borno rather than making “divisive comments,” quoting, “It is curious that he has appointed himself spokesperson for the Northern masses.”