2027 NDC Vice-Presidential Candidate Calls for Forgiveness, National Unity Ahead of General Elections
Former Kano State Governor and 2027 Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has called for renewed political cooperation between Northern Nigeria and the South-East, urging both regions to embrace forgiveness and rebuild their historic alliance.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Igbo, Kwankwaso said the North and the South-East have enjoyed decades of political partnership dating back to the First and Second Republics, stressing that the wounds of the Nigerian Civil War should no longer be allowed to divide the country.
“We have to forgive ourselves. We have to work together as a family. The South-East has been our ally and our friends over the years,” he said.
Kwankwaso recalled the alliance between the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) under Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, as well as the emergence of Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Vice President during the Second Republic, as examples of successful political collaboration between both regions.
He also referenced the return of the late Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu from exile, noting that Northern leaders at the time demonstrated reconciliation by supporting his return to democratic politics after the Civil War.
According to him, strengthening ties with the South-East should not be interpreted as hostility towards any other region, adding that no part of Nigeria can attain political success in isolation.
Kwankwaso urged political leaders to view Nigeria’s diversity as a source of strength and promote inclusion, reconciliation and national cohesion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
