Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kano State governor and running mate to Peter Obi of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, has rejected assertions by former Borno State governor Ali Modu Sheriff that Northerners would not vote for Obi in the 2027 presidential election. Sheriff made the remarks in an interview with Channels Television on Monday, claiming Obi would not receive significant support in the North due to beliefs he might divide the country if elected. Kwankwaso responded Tuesday in a statement posted on his social media accounts, calling Sheriff's judgment unrefined despite years away from frontline politics. He dismissed the notion that Northerners would reject Obi, citing Obi's 2.8 million votes in the region during the 2023 election under the Labour Party. Kwankwaso highlighted his own 1.45 million votes in the North as further proof of strong regional backing for the NDC ticket. He described the combination of national dissatisfaction with the All Progressives Congress and his inclusion on the ticket as factors making the "OK ticket" a formidable force in Northern Nigeria ahead of 2027. Kwankwaso defended the people of Kano from accusations of bias, stating they are not xenophobic and have consistently supported the Kwankwasiyya movement. He urged Sheriff to focus future media appearances on security and humanitarian issues in Borno rather than political commentary. "Given the current national hardships, the widespread consensus on the failure of the APC administration, and the addition of a strong Northern figure to the ticket who previously garnered 1.45 million votes in the region, the OK ticket remains a formidable force in Northern politics," Kwankwaso said. He called the ticket the best opportunity for Nigeria to achieve competence, unity, and progress.
Kwankwaso accuses Sheriff of speaking for Northern voters while urging him to stay silent on politics, yet positions himself as the authentic voice of the North. He cites 2.8 million votes for Obi in 2023 and his own 1.45 million to prove electoral strength, but offers no new data for 2027. The contradiction lies in rejecting one man's generalisation about Northern voters while making an identical claim of mass support. Nigerians named in the exchange—Obi, Sheriff, and Kwankwaso—are left asserting influence without shared evidence beyond past results.
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