Nigerians turning to NDC over leadership failures, says Kwankwaso

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the former Kano State governor, says growing dissatisfaction with governance and unmet public expectations are pushing more Nigerians toward the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Monday, Kwankwaso said the emerging alliance involving former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi was gaining momentum across the country and among Nigerians in the diaspora.

According to him, the coalition has continued to attract support because many citizens believe successive administrations have failed to adequately address the nation’s socio-economic and governance challenges.

Kwankwaso said, “Everybody knows there are issues with this administration again,” referring to the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He added that the NDC movement was rapidly building structures nationwide as more Nigerians seek an alternative political platform ahead of the next general election. The former governor also used the interview to express disappointment over what he described as the lack of political and developmental rewards for his camp after supporting former President Muhammadu Buhari during the 2015 presidential election.

Kwankwaso said members of his political movement made enormous sacrifices to help secure Buhari’s victory, contributing nearly two million votes in the election that ended the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party. “I worked so hard. We brought about 1.9, almost two million votes,” he said.

“But as politicians, we were not recognised. We put our lives even on the line at that time. Unfortunately, we could not see any benefit either as individuals or the constituencies that we represented.”

Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic experience since 1999, Kwankwaso said various administrations had encountered difficulties in resolving the country’s deep-rooted problems. He commended former President Olusegun Obasanjo for efforts made during his tenure, but noted that the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was hindered by health challenges while in office.

He also claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan faced political constraints linked to an alleged one-term arrangement.

Kwankwaso further defended the decision by the emerging coalition to support a southern candidate for its proposed 2027 presidential ticket, insisting that competence, commitment and leadership quality should outweigh regional considerations.

“What is key is to have quality leadership, people who are enthusiastic, determined and committed to give the country the leadership it deserves,” he said.