Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has said the debate over who actually won the 2023 presidential election should no longer be the focus of political discussions, urging Nigerians and political actors to look ahead to the 2027 election.
Kwankwaso made the remark when he was asked whether he believed Peter Obi won the 2023 presidential election.
“I think it is not an issue again. We should focus on 2027,” he said.
The question is particularly significant given Kwankwaso’s political relationship with Obi. Both men contested the 2023 presidential election separately, with Obi running on the platform of the Labour Party and Kwankwaso contesting under the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
Before the 2023 election, there were discussions about the possibility of the two politicians working together, but the negotiations did not produce a joint ticket. They eventually entered the election separately.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress the winner of the 2023 presidential election, while Obi and Kwankwaso finished third and fourth respectively. Obi subsequently challenged the result in court, but the Presidential Election Petition Court dismissed the petitions, and the Supreme Court later upheld Tinubu’s election.
Despite their separate paths in 2023, Obi and Kwankwaso have since moved into a political alliance ahead of the 2027 election.
Kwankwaso has previously explained that his experience during the 2023 election contributed to his decision to work with Obi this time around. He said he had gained a better understanding of Obi and believed the two could work together.
The alliance has now resulted in Obi emerging as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, with Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 election. Kwankwaso has also said that he and Obi signed written agreements concerning a proposed single four-year term for Obi if the ticket wins the election.
Against that background, Kwankwaso’s response to the question about the 2023 election also reflects the shift in his political relationship with Obi. Rather than revisiting whether Obi was the actual winner of the 2023 contest, Kwankwaso is now part of the political arrangement seeking to contest the next presidential election with him.
The former Kano governor has previously said that the decision to work with Obi was based on what he described as national interest, equity and the need for political change. He also said the alliance followed consultations involving supporters of the Kwankwasiyya and Obidient movements.
His latest comment therefore comes as both politicians prepare for another presidential contest, four years after they competed against each other in 2023.
While the 2023 election continues to generate debate among politicians, supporters and the wider public, Kwankwaso’s position is that the political conversation should now move beyond the previous election and concentrate on the contest ahead in 2027.