Kwankwaso Knocks Ali Modu Sheriff Over 2027 Northern Support For Peter Obi

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has criticised former Borno State Governor, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, over his remarks on the electoral prospects of the party’s 2027 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in Northern Nigeria.

Kwankwaso, in a statement on Tuesday, described Sheriff’s comments during a Channels Television interview on Monday as disappointing, insisting that Obi had already demonstrated considerable electoral strength in the North.

“I watched with disappointment the recent interview granted by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to Channels Television on Monday,” Kwankwaso said.

“After a prolonged absence from public discourse, one would have expected that time away might have sharpened Senator Sheriff’s judgment. Regrettably, that does not appear to be the case.”

Naija News reports that the former Kano State governor was reacting to Sheriff’s claim that Obi could not command sizeable support in Northern Nigeria.

According to Kwankwaso, Sheriff was wrong to portray himself as the spokesperson for Northern voters.

“In the interview, the former governor claimed that Peter Obi cannot command sizeable support in Northern Nigeria. It is curious that he has appointed himself spokesperson for the Northern masses,” he said.

“For the record, in his first outing on the presidential ballot, Mr. Obi secured approximately 2.8 million votes in the region, a remarkable achievement that cannot be dismissed lightly.”

Kwankwaso added that prevailing economic hardship and dissatisfaction with the All Progressives Congress-led federal government had strengthened the prospects of the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance, which he referred to as the “OK ticket.”

“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,” he stated.

The former presidential candidate also rejected Sheriff’s assertion that Kano voters would not support Obi.

“Let me state clearly: the good people of Kano are neither bigoted nor xenophobic. They have consistently demonstrated strong trust in the Kwankwasiyya movement and will support any credible ticket presented under its banner,” he said.

Kwankwaso urged Sheriff to focus on addressing the security and humanitarian challenges confronting Borno State rather than making what he described as divisive political remarks.

“I respectfully advise Senator Sheriff that, in future national television appearances, he would do better to speak to the serious insecurity and humanitarian challenges facing his home state, rather than making divisive and poorly considered remarks,” he added.

He maintained that the “OK ticket” represented the best opportunity to reposition Nigeria.

“The OK ticket currently represents the best opportunity for Nigerians to reset the country and place it on a path of competence, unity, and progress,” Kwankwaso said.