Kwankwaso Fires Back at Ali Modu Sheriff, Affirms Peter Obi’s Northern Support

Vice presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has rejected claims by former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, that Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi lacks meaningful political support across Northern Nigeria.

Kwankwaso made his position known in a statement posted on his official page on July 7, 2026, in response to comments made by Sheriff during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

Sheriff had argued that Northerners would not vote for Obi and advised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to wait until 2031 to pursue the presidency, insisting that the South should complete its turn in line with the existing political arrangement.

Responding, Kwankwaso described Sheriff’s comments as inconsistent with the political realities in the region, maintaining that Obi enjoys substantial support across Northern Nigeria.

According to the former Kano State governor, Obi secured about 2.8 million votes in the North during the last presidential election, a performance he said demonstrated the Labour Party candidate’s growing acceptance among Northern voters.

“For the record, in his first outing on the presidential ballot, Mr. Obi secured approximately 2.8 million votes in the region, a remarkable achievement that cannot be dismissed lightly,” Kwankwaso stated.

He further argued that dissatisfaction with the performance of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government, combined with the inclusion of a Northern figure on the NDC’s “OK” presidential ticket, has strengthened the alliance’s prospects ahead of future elections.

Kwankwaso also dismissed Sheriff’s suggestion that Kano voters would reject Obi, insisting that the people of the state have consistently supported candidates endorsed by the Kwankwasiyya movement.

“The good people of Kano are neither bigoted nor xenophobic. They have consistently demonstrated strong trust in the Kwankwasiyya movement and will support any credible ticket presented under its banner,” he said.

The former governor urged Sheriff to focus his attention on addressing the security and humanitarian challenges confronting Borno State instead of making statements capable of deepening political divisions.

He maintained that the NDC alliance offers Nigerians a credible platform to promote national unity, competence and inclusive governance, expressing confidence that the coalition would continue to gain support across all regions of the country.