The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed allegations that he and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, are secretly working to aid President Bola Tinubu’s re-election by dividing the opposition, insisting that their alliance is driven solely by a shared vision for national development.

Speaking in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, Kwankwaso described the claims as baseless.

Responding to accusations that their candidacy was designed to weaken the opposition and benefit the ruling party, Kwankwaso invoked a popular Hausa proverb, saying “If the person talking is a fool, then the person listening should be wise.”

He maintained that the NDC, despite being a relatively new political platform, has witnessed rapid growth in membership within a short period.

“We are a new party, but our membership is advancing rapidly. In less than three months, we have attracted many members. Peter Obi and I share similar ideologies and plans for development in education, agriculture, and human capital development,” he said.

Kwankwaso explained that both leaders agreed to work together to bring positive change to Nigeria.

According to him, the partnership was formed to provide an alternative that focuses on welfare and development.

He also sought to downplay reported tensions between supporters of the NDC and those of other opposition figures, particularly former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

“I have never directed my followers to attack Atiku, neither have I attacked him directly. I am sure he also will not direct his people to attack us. Any issues between the two camps are being incited by a few mischievous people,” he stated.

Addressing criticism over his previous remarks that the office of the vice president is merely a “spare part,” Kwankwaso said Obi had assured him that his administration would assign meaningful responsibilities to the vice president.

“Obi himself publicly declared that he will not just relegate us to the side. There are several responsibilities we will take on for the betterment of the nation, and that is how it should be,” he said.

Kwankwaso further explained that he accepted the vice-presidential slot because of what he described as the need to respect the country’s power-sharing arrangement between the North and the South.

“I agreed to be vice president because it is currently the turn of the South. So, to avoid confusion, we agreed that he should run, and once they are done, the seat will move back to the North,” he said.

When asked whether he believed Obi would honour an alleged agreement to serve only one term before power returns to the North, Kwankwaso expressed confidence in his running mate.

“I believe Peter Obi, as a distinguished gentleman, will keep his word of running for a single term to fulfil the turn of the South, and the presidency will move back to the North,” he added.

Former Kano State Governor and national leader of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared that he remains willing to forgive Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and reconcile with him despite their political differences, insisting that his affection for his former protégé has not diminished.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Kwankwaso said the door to reconciliation remains open, stressing that Yusuf was the one who chose to leave their political fold and that he would not turn him away if he decided to return.

“I still love Abba and I didn’t reject him, he is the one that left. So not just Abba, if anyone who left comes back, I won’t be unforgiving. Look at Ganduje, in the many years we worked together, we fell out several times and got back together. That is how politics works,” he said.

Relationship between the two politicians soured after Governor Yusuf defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), under whose platform he won the 2023 governorship election, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that drew sharp criticism from members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

Kwankwaso argued that Yusuf’s electoral victory was made possible by the strength of the movement. “We picked Abba to contest under the NNPP and we won, but he left to join the people we defeated. Some say he did so because he feared losing his position, but he knows there was no way we would have been defeated in Kano. If that were the case, we would have lost when he contested under our party,” he stated.

The former governor further explained that the movement intentionally fielded Yusuf in 2023 to demonstrate its political influence.

“We did not choose him because he was the most senior or the most educated. We chose him because we wanted to test the strength and calibre of the Kwankwasiyya movement at that time,” he said.

Emphasising the importance of tolerance in leadership, Kwankwaso said leaders must accept differing opinions and embrace forgiveness.

“As a leader, you need to have an open heart. You cannot force people to think the way you do because we all come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives. Without forgiveness, we would not have come this far,” he added.

The Kwankwasiyya Movement has clarified the alleged threat by its principal, Rabiu Kwankwaso, to quit the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC.

A statement by its spokesman, Habibu Mohammed, said Kwankwaso has never threatened to leave the party over the replacement of candidates.

The group described the speculation as mere rumours.

“Kwankwaso never threatened to leave the NDC. Neither the Kwankwasiyya Movement not its leader is complaining,” the statement said.

It was reported that the Kwankwasiyya Movement would exit the party if loyalists earlier nominated by the bloc were replaced.

It will be recalled that the speculation came following the substitution of several candidates submitted by the group, with allegations that the move breached an earlier power-sharing arrangement, just as Mohammed said the claims were baseless.

The group’s mouthpiece pointed out that the party primaries were conducted on May 29 in line with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, noting that the winners were affirmed the same day.

According to him, the NDC stakeholders and members had earlier agreed on a consensus model where necessary, adopted candidates accordingly, and submitted the list without internal squabbles.

He added that Kwankwaso had not communicated any grievance with the party to the movement.