2027: Kwankwaso Backs Peter Obi’s One-Term Pledge

The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has expressed confidence that the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will keep his promise to spend only one term in office if elected President in 2027.

Kwankwaso spoke during an interview on News Central’s 60 Minutes with Mr Kay, where he was asked about Obi’s commitment to a single four-year tenure and the political arrangement within the NDC coalition.

The former Kano State governor said he had no reason to doubt Obi, noting that the former Anambra State governor had made the commitment publicly.

“I personally believe Peter Obi is a gentleman and I have every reason to trust him, especially that he said it to the hearing of everybody. Nobody should have any reason to doubt him,” Kwankwaso said.

Kwankwaso explained that the coalition’s power-sharing understanding was founded on mutual trust among its members and an agreement on how political power should be rotated.

He argued that the arrangement would allow the southern part of the country to complete what the coalition considers an eight-year presidential cycle before power shifts.

“We believe the southern part of the country should complete its second term and, with that, and to the hearing of everybody in this country, I don’t believe any gentleman would want to renege, would want to say no or change his or her mind,” he stated.

Kwankwaso maintained that Obi’s one-term commitment was not merely a personal declaration but formed part of the broader understanding among members of the political alliance.

Coalition Adopts Governance Roadmap

The NDC vice-presidential candidate also said the coalition had gone beyond discussions about individuals and political blocs by developing a common governance programme.

According to him, the alliance has drawn up short-, medium- and long-term plans that would guide the administration if the party wins the 2027 presidential election.

“More importantly, we have collectively gotten a short-term, medium-term and, of course, long-term plan for this country. It does not matter whether it is him from the Obidient side, or my humble self from the Kwankwasiyya side or another side, we believe we have an agenda,” he said.

He added that the coalition’s priority was to ensure that subsequent leaders remained committed to the agreed programme irrespective of their political background or support base.

“That agenda, we will as much as possible ensure that whoever comes, maybe Peter, maybe me or any other person, would stick to that programme,” he added.

Kwankwaso stressed that continuity of the coalition’s policies would remain important beyond the tenure of any individual President, insisting that the NDC’s objective was to build a governance framework capable of surviving changes in leadership.