Nigeria: My Regret Over 2023 Elections - Kwankwaso

What the report says

Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, said in Dutse, Jigawa State, that he now regrets not teaming up with Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election. Speaking on Saturday at the 360 Event Centre, he told party supporters that a joint opposition ticket would likely have strengthened their chances against the ruling All Progressives Congress.

According to Premium Times, Kwankwaso said he had not fully appreciated Obi at the time, but now believes the two should have worked together to try to unseat APC candidate Bola Tinubu. The report recalled that Kwankwaso ran on the New Nigeria Peoples Party platform and finished fourth, while Obi, on the Labour Party ticket, came third. Their separate campaigns split opposition support in a race won by Tinubu.

Kwankwaso also used the event to outline what he said would be a shared NDC agenda for 2027. He said he and Obi had agreed that he would oversee the education ministry if elected, and described plans to improve public schools, recruit teachers and expand access for poorer children. He further pointed to his record in Kano, including foreign scholarships for thousands of students, as evidence for the approach he wants to scale nationally. The remarks came amid criticism of the current governments in Kano and Jigawa and appeals for support from voters in the region.