Supporters of Kwankwasiyya and Atiku throw weight behind Obi's 2027 bid

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Loyalists of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have thrown their weight behind former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general election.

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The endorsement was announced on Friday in Abuja during a coalition meeting attended by members of the Obidient Movement, Kwankwasiyya Movement and the Coalition of Atiku Support Groups Initiative.

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Speaking at the gathering, spokesman of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Habibu Muhammed, said the movement resolved to align with Obi because of what he described as the former Anambra State governor’s proven leadership credentials and commitment to national development.

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He said, “In 2027, there is going to be a political revolution where the common man will come out and determine his own fate. They will tell the nation who they believe to be leaders. And, of course, there are no other persons other than Peter Obi and Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.”

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Muhammed described leadership as a matter of proven performance rather than experimentation, citing Kwankwaso’s achievements in education and governance as examples of the kind of leadership Nigerians should demand.

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“Leadership is not about trial and error. No, it’s about track record. Kwankwaso lost his governorship election, did a comeback in 2011 and won again. I’m glad to tell you that he’s the only person to do that in Nigeria. From 2011 to 2015, he built another state university.

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“I believe this is enough to tell you what he cares about and what his concerns are. Nothing builds society, people and a nation more than education. When you educate the youth, you educate the masses. You see progress and development. This is outside the PhDs that he sponsored,” he stated.

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He added that the Kwankwasiyya Movement had accepted the need to support another region in the interest of national balance and unity.

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“Everybody knows he contested for president. But now, we have agreed that there is a need to consider other parts of the country, which we all agree is fair. Again, when we look at regions, we also need to look at the track record.

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“As earlier said, you don’t need trial and error leaders but people with character and a real track record.

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“That is why, from the Kwankwasiyya Movement, we agree that Peter Obi is the kind of exceptional leader we want to follow and align with our leader in terms of education, healthcare, infrastructure, and the general well-being of Nigeria,” Muhammed added.

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Also speaking, the National Coordinator of the Coalition of Atiku Support Groups Initiative, Obinna Okorie, appealed to Atiku to support Obi’s presidential ambition in 2027.

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Okorie explained that members of the coalition reached the decision after reviewing the country’s political dynamics and Obi’s perceived national appeal.

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“We have been supporting Atiku since 2019 when he started with Obi. He is our father and leader because we respect him so much. I’m happy to say that today we have over a thousand support groups in CASGI.

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“After studying the political dynamics of Nigeria, we came up with the decision that we would beg our father and leader, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, to support Peter Obi. The reasons are very simple.

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“If you are a follower of Nigerian politics, you don’t need anybody to tell you where the wind is blowing. Again, Nigeria has what we call unwritten agreements. I’m not an ethnic or religious bigot. These are the things we saw in His Excellency Peter Obi,” he stated.

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The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, also hailed the growing opposition alliance, saying efforts to divide the coalition had failed.

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“Today signifies the importance of our coalition again. So anybody who is in doubt, and thinks the coalition has collapsed is not serious. This is because here we have groups from our respected leaders, Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Obi.

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“Those who want to create differences among us have failed because the target is to create a division among us while they are making an inroad. We must work as a team. This country needs to be salvaged,” Tanko said.

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The endorsements come amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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