Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso has supported the decision of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria. He spoke on Saturday during the party’s national convention held in Abuja, where party delegates also approved the zoning arrangement.
Kwankwaso said the decision was in line with the party’s agreement on fairness and power sharing between the North and South. He explained that Nigeria’s political history had shown that cooperation between leaders from different regions often helped the country achieve stability and national unity.
According to him, Nigeria is currently facing serious economic and security problems because of poor leadership. He said insecurity has displaced many people from their communities, while the economy, education sector and public infrastructure have continued to decline. He added that many Nigerians are struggling because of harsh economic policies and the absence of proper support systems.
Kwankwaso also recalled several political alliances in Nigeria’s history, including the partnership between Aminu Kano and Nnamdi Azikiwe in the 1950s, as well as the coalition between the Northern People’s Congress and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons before independence. He further mentioned the alliance between former President Shehu Shagari and former Vice President Alex Ekwueme during the Second Republic.
He said the zoning of the presidential ticket to the South would promote fairness and give the region an opportunity to complete its turn in leading the country. Kwankwaso assured party members that the agreement would be respected and called on Nigerians to support the NDC ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The convention also approved that the presidential ticket would return to the North after a single four-year term in the South. The decision is expected to benefit former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, and other southern aspirants. Daily Trust reported that Kwankwaso and Obi recently left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and officially joined the NDC in Abuja earlier this month.