The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, on Sunday unveiled former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as his running mate for the 2027 general elections, declaring that the vice-presidential office would no longer be treated as a subordinate position.
Obi, who made the announcement at the party’s national convention in Abuja, said both leaders would operate as “equal partners” if elected, vowing to end what he described as the long-standing tradition of reducing vice presidents to “spare tyres.”
“The government we intend to form will no longer be one where the vice president is seen as a spare tyre. The vice president will be a partner,” Obi said. “We want to build a nation where leadership is based on shared responsibility, consultation and inclusiveness.”
The former Labour Party presidential candidate stressed that key decisions under his administration would be jointly taken, adding that governance would reflect collaboration rather than hierarchy.
Obi formally accepted his nomination as the party’s flag bearer and, in the same breath, extended an invitation to Kwankwaso to join the ticket, citing alignment in vision and policy direction.
“It is on this note that I graciously accept the affirmation as the candidate of this great party, and I invite Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to join me as vice-presidential candidate,” he said.
He noted that his choice of Kwankwaso was informed by shared priorities, particularly in education, security and equitable opportunities for Nigerians.
Obi and Kwankwaso were both contenders in the 2023 presidential election, finishing third and fourth respectively behind Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu, who won the poll.
Kwankwaso, who ran under the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, secured victory in Kano State and remains a dominant political figure in the region.
The latest alliance is expected to reshape political permutations ahead of the 2027 elections, particularly in the North-West and South-East, where both politicians command significant followership.
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