- He maintained that he has never instructed his followers to target Atiku
- He further expressed confidence that Obi would honour an understanding to serve a single term
The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has rejected claims that he and the party’s presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, are secretly working to secure a second term for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Eko Hot Blog gathered that Kwankwaso described allegations that the NDC was created to weaken the opposition and favour the ruling party as unfounded and misleading.
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Using a popular Hausa saying to dismiss the claims, the former Kano State governor urged Nigerians to critically assess such narratives rather than accept them at face value.
Kwankwaso insisted that the NDC’s focus remains on national development and providing an alternative political platform centred on governance and public welfare.
He noted that despite being a relatively new party, the NDC has witnessed significant growth in membership within a short period. According to him, the party has attracted widespread support because of its development agenda and the shared vision between him and Obi.
The former governor said both leaders agreed to work together because they hold similar views on key areas such as education, agriculture, and human capital development, adding that their alliance is aimed at driving meaningful change across the country.
Addressing reports of friction between his supporters and those loyal to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Kwankwaso denied encouraging attacks against any opposition figure.
He maintained that he has never instructed his followers to target Atiku and expressed confidence that the former vice president would not support attacks against him either. He blamed any perceived hostility on individuals seeking to create division among opposition groups.
Kwankwaso also revisited his previous remarks describing the vice-presidential office as a “spare part,” explaining that Obi had assured him that the position would carry substantial responsibilities if they were elected into office.
According to him, the NDC presidential candidate has publicly committed to assigning meaningful duties to the vice president in a way that would contribute to national development.
On why he accepted the vice-presidential nomination, Kwankwaso said his decision was influenced by the principle of power rotation between the North and South. He argued that it was appropriate for the South to complete its turn in the presidency before power returns to the North.
He further expressed confidence that Obi would honour an understanding to serve a single term, allowing the presidency to rotate back to the northern region afterward.
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