By Adegboyega Adeleye
Vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has explained why he wants former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), to step down for NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general election, citing their longstanding political relationship and the need to make way for a new political arrangement.
Kwankwaso gave the explanation while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, where he recounted decades of political dealings with Atiku, explained why he aligned with Obi and outlined the NDC’s position on fuel prices and subsidy.
Asked whether he was insisting that Atiku should abandon his presidential ambition this time, Kwankwaso answered in the affirmative. “Well, yes,” he said.
The former Kano State governor explained that he recently used a visit by a group of Fulani people from across the country as an opportunity to encourage them to speak with Atiku about stepping aside.
“I had some people, coincidentally, a group of Fulanis from across the country who came for a courtesy visit to my house. And I thought it was an opportunity for me, really, to talk to them and ask them that they should create time before they go back to their towns and villages to talk to him,” he said.
Kwankwaso stressed that his call was not motivated by hostility towards Atiku, whom he said he had known and worked with for many years.
“His Excellency Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is somebody that I know fairly well. And we have done so much together with him in the past. In fact, more than anybody who is around him today,” he said.
How Kwankwaso, Atiku worked together from 1993
To explain the depth of their political relationship, Kwankwaso traced their history to 1993, when both were involved in the political movement led by the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua.
“I remember in 1993, he was in our group under the leadership of General Shehu Musa Yar’adua and he was our choice for the presidential candidate of the SDP,” Kwankwaso said.
“We supported him. We did everything possible to make him our candidate of the SDP. And when it didn’t work out, of course, we tried also under General Shehu Musa Yar’adua to ensure that we got the ticket of the Vice-President.”
He recalled that the political effort did not succeed but said their relationship continued into the transition to civilian rule in 1999, when Olusegun Obasanjo emerged as the presidential candidate.
“It didn’t work. And we thank Almighty God we are still alive in 1999. I was Governor-Elect of Kano when we elected His Excellency Olusegun Obasanjo in Jos, the same Jos that we went in 1993,” he said.
Kwankwaso said he was close to Atiku during that period, when the latter served as Obasanjo’s running mate and subsequently became vice-president.
“And at the end of the day, of course, Obasanjo won. And I know he played some roles because I was very close to him, I was Governor-Elect at that time and he was Vice-president, and we were very happy,” he said.
He also recalled Atiku’s political role in 2003 and the support he received from Kano in the 2007 presidential election.
“And also, in 2003, he played a lot of roles. And I think that’s a very long story, maybe one of these days we will have an opportunity to discuss it. So also in 2007, almost 90% of our votes from Kano were given to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar,” Kwankwaso said.
He noted that they did not always belong to the same political party, pointing out that Atiku was in the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in 2007, while he was not a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“In 2007, I think he was in the ACN. Of course, I was not in the ACN,” he said.
Kwankwaso further recalled that they worked together in 2011 and were both presidential aspirants in the APC ahead of the 2015 general election, which former president Muhammadu Buhari won.
“And 2011, when we worked together. In 2015, I’m sure you know we were all aspirants in the APC. Buhari was number one, I was number two, he was number three. That’s 2015, so you can go on and on,” he said.
Summarising his position, Kwankwaso insisted that his appeal should not be interpreted as opposition to Atiku personally.
“What I’m trying to say is that we are not against him. The two sides, we’ve worked together with him so everything has time,” he said.
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