Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has dismissed speculation of a disagreement with his running mate, former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, insisting their partnership remains strong ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with The Sun published on Sunday, July 19, Obi said there was no basis for claims of division, stressing that both men are united by a common mission to transform Nigeria.
“I don’t know why people talk about differences between people who are working together. Have you ever seen us quarrelling?
“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,” he said.
Obi explained that his decision to pick Kwankwaso as his running mate was based on their shared commitment to education and poverty reduction, describing the former governor’s philosophy as closely aligned with his own.
“Kwankwaso has the philosophy of pulling people out of poverty.
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“I have the same philosophy. Kwankwaso believes in education. You cannot change society without education.
“If you look at my X, formerly Twitter, I made it clear that I will emphasise education. Education is going to change society.
“Nigeria must be seen to form its innermost human capital, which we need to develop. Kwankwaso believes in this. I do. We have synergy,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor also brushed aside questions about why an alliance between the two politicians did not happen before the 2023 election, saying his focus is on the future rather than the past.
“Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow. The past is gone. We are talking about the present,” he said.
On concerns about managing supporters of both the Obidient Movement and the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Obi expressed confidence that both groups are united by the desire for a better Nigeria.
“We do not just have large followers alone. People are gravitating to what is right. How are we going to manage them? We have no problem whatsoever. We want to change the society. Our followers want a changed and better society,” he added.