“OK ticket formidable,” Kwankwaso tackles Modu Sheriff

By Ayorinde Oluokun

Former Kano governor and running mate to Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC Rabiu Kwankwaso, has dismissed claim that Northerners will not vote for the party in the 2027 general election.

Kwankwaso said this while reacting to an interview granted by Senator Ali Modu Sheriff to Channels Television on Monday.

Sheriff, a former governor of Borno State, had in the interview said Northerners will not vote for Peter Obi in the 2027 election.

He said this was because Northerners believe Peter Obi will take steps to divide the country if elected.

But Kwankwaso, in a statement published on his social media handles on Tuesday faulted the assertions of the former governor.

He said the claim by Sherrif indicated that time has not sharpened his judgment despite his long absence from public discourse.

Kwankwaso also dismissed the claim by the former Borno governor that Peter Obi cannot command sizeable support in Northern Nigeria in 2027.

The former Kano governor backed his assertions with statistics of performance of the former Anambra governor in the 2023 election as the presidential candidate of Labour Party in the North.

“It is curious that he has appointed himself spokesperson for the Northern masses. 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”

He added that with the current state of the country under the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC as well as his addition to the presidential ticket, the NDC will be a formidable force in Northern Nigeria in 2027.

“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,” Kwankawaso said.

He also faulted the claim that the people of Kano will note vote for Peter Obi in 2027.

The former Kano governor advised Sheriff to focus on security challenges in his state, Borno in his subsequent media outings instead of politics.

“Even more surprising was Senator Sheriff’s assertion that the people of Kano would not vote for Mr. 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.

“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.

“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”