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The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said his decision to pick former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 election was rooted in their common goal of pulling Nigerians out of poverty through education and development.
Obi, speaking in an interview with The Sun published on Sunday, said Kwankwaso’s approach to governance mirrors his own conviction that education is the foundation for national transformation.
“Kwankwaso has the philosophy of pulling people out of poverty. I have the same philosophy. Kwankwaso believes in education. You cannot change society without education,” Obi said.
The former Anambra governor said the partnership is built on shared values rather than political convenience.
He added that both men are committed to developing Nigeria’s human capital.
“Nigeria must be seen to form its innermost human capital, which we need to develop. Kwankwaso believes in this. I do. We have synergy,” he said.
Obi dismissed claims of friction between him and Kwankwaso, pointing out that their unity remains intact as they prepare for the 2027 election.
“I don’t know why people talk about differences between people who are working together. Have you ever seen us quarrelling?” he asked.
He attributed such speculation to what he called “transactional governance” and stressed that his approach is focused on transformation rather than political expediency.
“You see, people quarrel even in offices because of transactional governance. The country is in a mess because of transactional governance. I am not into transactional government. I am into transformational governance.
“We want to change the society and make it better. We want to pull people out of poverty, not the other way around,” Obi said.
Obi explained that his focus was on the present and future rather than the past when asked why an alliance with Kwankwaso did not emerge before the 2023 election.
“Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. The past is gone. We are talking about the present,” he said.
Obi and Kwankwaso finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 2023 presidential election, behind President Bola Tinubu and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Both men, alongside Atiku, had earlier formed an alliance under the African Democratic Congress in 2026 before Obi and Kwankwaso defected to the NDC, citing internal crises and legal disputes.
