A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has called on Nigerians to move beyond ethnic and religious considerations in the 2027 general elections.
Kwankwaso made the appeal during an interview with Trust TV on Sunday while discussing the political landscape ahead of the next presidential election.
The former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party stressed that no political group could succeed in Nigeria by relying solely on regional or religious support.
According to him, political success in the country requires collaboration across ethnic, religious and regional divides.
“We must look beyond tribe and religion. We are Northerners and Muslims, and everybody knows that, but we can’t play politics without Christians, Southeast, South-South or South-west,” he stated.
Kwankwaso also spoke about the popularity of former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, acknowledging his growing influence across different parts of Nigeria.
“If you look at it, Peter Obi is a very popular politician in the entire South and many parts of Northern Nigeria, and you cannot take that from him, the same with the Kwankwasiyya movement,” he said.
The former Kano State governor further described supporters of the Kwankwasiyya movement as mostly young Nigerians who are focused on building a better future rather than pursuing personal or family interests.
“We are lucky that our supporters are mainly young men and women who are looking for a way out. They are not looking for their brothers or their sisters or somebody close,” he added.
Kwankwaso’s remarks come amid increasing political realignments and early campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections, with major political figures and parties already positioning themselves for the race.
