The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential ticket that has former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, is facing serious resistance from some northern political stakeholders.
It is claimed that “majority of northerners” had yet to embrace NDC.
It was also gathered that some northern leaders had started warning their followers against the party, while portraying Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as anti-northern interests.
In one of the political materials being circulated across some WhatsApp platforms in the region, Obi and Kwankwaso were projected as “haram” (forbidden).
On Tuesday, there were reports that some angry youths in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State burnt Obi and Kwankwaso’s campaign posters.
Similarly, a member of the Kano State House of Assembly, Muhammad Tomas, who recently joined the NDC from the All Progressives Congress, returned to the APC.
Speaking with Punch on Saturday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said the NDC had yet to gain significant visibility and acceptance among northern voters.
He said the party remained “largely unknown” to ordinary voters across the region.
Muhammad-Baba said while some prominent opposition figures continued to attract media attention, their political influence in the North was far from certain.
He particularly cited Kwankwaso, whose support base, according to him, may no longer be as solid as it appeared during the 2023 presidential election.
“There is even doubt about whether Kwankwaso can still hold on to Kano, where he recorded his most impressive performance in the last election. Apart from Kano, his influence in many parts of the North remains uncertain,” Muhammad-Baba stated.
