Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the vice presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has said President Bola Tinubu does not deserve a second term in office, accusing his administration of failing to address insecurity and poverty in Nigeria.
Kwankwaso made the remarks on Friday in Jos, Plateau State, during a grand reception and village hall meeting organised by the Middle Belt Youth Council in support of the Obi/Kwankwaso presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former Kano State governor used the gathering to reaffirm his political alliance with Peter Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, describing their joint ticket as a platform for national unity.
He also said the two politicians had agreed to harmonise their visions and programmes for the country, with the aim of presenting a common direction for Nigeria’s future.
The meeting was initially expected to be chaired by Obi, but Kwankwaso told attendees that the former Anambra State governor could not attend because he was held up in Enugu by circumstances beyond his control.
He assured supporters that another date would be arranged for both candidates to address them together.
According to Kwankwaso, Obi contacted him early on Friday to explain his absence and requested that the gathering be informed of their continued commitment to the people of Plateau State.
“The meeting was supposed to be chaired by His Excellency, Peter Obi, who is our presidential candidate. But very early in the morning, he called me and sent a message that he was held in Enugu and, for circumstances beyond his control, he could not make it to Plateau,” he said.
He conveyed Obi’s message of solidarity with the people of Plateau State, emphasising that their political partnership remained intact despite the presidential candidate’s absence from the event.
“But one thing we agreed on was that very soon, we would fix another date so that we could come together to address you properly in this hall,” Kwankwaso stated.
The NDC vice presidential candidate said the alliance was built on a shared understanding of their respective programmes and a decision to bring their ideas together. He reminded supporters that their political programmes had been presented during the 2023 general election, adding that the current partnership was intended to harmonise their visions for the country.
“All of you here are aware of our programmes, especially during the 2023 election. Now that we are together, we have decided to harmonise all our visions for Nigeria,” he said.
Kwankwaso further described the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket as a balanced platform capable of bringing different parts of the country together. He said the partnership represented an effort to promote unity across regional and political divides, stressing that both candidates were focused on Nigeria’s future.
“We agreed that this ticket, as it stands now, is a ticket of unity: unity in Plateau, unity in Northern Nigeria, unity in Southern Nigeria, and unity in Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the ticket was designed to ensure representation across different groups and regions, describing it as a partnership in which both politicians stood for the future.
Kwankwaso’s remarks come as political activities and alliances begin to take shape ahead of the 2027 general election. His criticism of Tinubu centred on insecurity and poverty, which he cited as reasons the president should not be returned to office for another term.
