“Step down for Obi”: Kwankwaso tells Atiku it is still the South's turn
NDC running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso has urged Atiku Abubakar to withdraw and back Peter Obi, arguing the presidency should stay in the South. Atiku and the ADC had not responded by filing time.
The message: speaking at his home in Kano on Sunday, 1 November, Kwankwaso said: “Some people want to create confusion by bringing a candidate from the North, knowing fully well that it is still the turn of the South. After Obi presidency it will return to the north.”
His choice: “I sacrificed my ambition for Peter Obi because he is credible and from the South. We share common goals and ideology.”
The target: Kwankwaso says Atiku “should not disrupt the system by contesting at this point.” Neither Atiku nor the ADC had responded by filing time, Premium Times reports.
The catch: Kwankwaso admits zoning is not in the Constitution; it is a political convention. And President Tinubu, seeking a second term, is also from the South.
The tickets: Obi (South-East) + Kwankwaso (North-West) for the NDC; Atiku (North-East) + Rotimi Amaechi (South-South) for the ADC; Tinubu (South-West) + Kashim Shettima (North-East) for the APC.
What to watch: whether Atiku answers, whether a split opposition can beat the APC, and the presidential vote on 16 January 2027.
Sources
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