Former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso said it would be difficult for any candidate, from the south east region, such as Peter Obi to win votes from the north.
“Most of the things that are happening in the South, especially in the South East; people are not comfortable with that and as long as you have somebody from there in any party, it will be very difficult for the northern voters to vote, and that’s the situation now,” Kwankwaso told Channels TV on Sunday.
He said this as he doubled down on his position not to be a running mate to Obi, but to be the main candidate.
Obi is from Nigeria’s South East, where the Indigenous People of Biafra, holds sway demanding the secession of the region.
Both Obi and Kwankwaso are in the race to become the next president in the February 2023 election.
Kwankwaso is the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP).
While Kwankwaso said he could not play second fiddle to Obi in a joint ticket, he still wants him to form an alliance with NNPP and serve as his running mate.
“The northern voters have made up their minds on what to do; certainly NNPP, nobody can change it,” he said during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics where he was asked who the people of the North would vote for.
“Unfortunately, there are many issues in the South East, and a northern voter is the worst-hit in this issue of maladministration in this country,” he asserted.
“But even under that circumstance, a northern voter also believes that he is better with one united Nigeria.
