A former Republican mayor has declared his firm opposition to any potential presidential ticket pairing Peter Obi with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for the 2027 Nigerian election. In a detailed statement, he outlined reasons for his stance, focusing on Kwankwaso's political history and alleged associations.
Why He Opposes the Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket
The former mayor stated that while he is not entirely convinced about Peter Obi, he remains open-minded. However, an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket would immediately close his mind. He argued that Nigeria does not need more of the same or different leaders following the same flawed path. He compared the situation to putting a different conductor on a train that must follow the same tracks.
Kwankwaso's Ties to the Sultan
The former mayor accused Kwankwaso of being a loyalist to the Sultan of Sokoto. He noted that Kwankwaso has changed parties five times over five decades—from PDP to APC to NNPP to ADC to NDC—but has never strayed from his allegiance to the throne. He highlighted that when the future Sultan served as a defense attache in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia during the war on terror, Kwankwaso was Defense Minister. He claimed that only the President and Kwankwaso knew the details of that mission.
He also pointed to the 2006 plane crash that killed top reform-minded generals and the subsequent crash that killed the sitting Sultan and his heir. He alleged that the future Sultan was turbaned in record time, skipping over older heirs. Shortly after, terrorist groups from those countries began operating in Nigeria, leading to violence against Christians. Kwankwaso was Defense Minister throughout these events.
Allegations of Misconduct in Kano State
As Governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso declared Sharia law in 2000 and established the Hisbah Board, which enforces religious codes. He lost re-election in 2003 for being considered insufficiently Islamic. Later, as governor from 2011 to 2015, he faced allegations of misappropriating N10 billion in pension funds. The EFCC interrogated him in 2021 and sealed his property, but the investigation stalled. A separate panel found that the EFCC chairman at the time directed operatives not to investigate Kwankwaso. His nephew is under investigation for pharmaceutical procurement fraud, and Kwankwaso is accused of interfering.
The former mayor concluded that he will actively oppose any ticket with Kwankwaso, regardless of who is the presidential candidate. He urged Peter Obi to choose a running mate who is not a puppet of the Sultan.
