JIGAWA, Nigeria — Former Kano State Governor and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has expressed regret over his failure to form an alliance with Peter Obi during the 2023 presidential election, saying he would have worked with the former Anambra State governor to prevent the All Progressives Congress (APC) from retaining power.
Kwankwaso said he would have agreed to work with Obi had he known him as closely as he does now, adding that their political and developmental philosophies, particularly on education and human capital development, were largely aligned.
He made the remarks on Saturday in Dutse, Jigawa State, during the presentation of certificates of return to some NDC candidates for the 2027 elections and the inauguration of the party’s governorship and State Assembly campaign council.
According to Daily Sun, the former governor described the APC as a party whose intentions were to inflict further hardship on Nigerians.
Kwankwaso said his recent interactions with Obi had convinced him that both politicians shared similar convictions on education, human development and the need to improve the living conditions of ordinary Nigerians.
He cited his administration’s foreign scholarship programme in Kano, through which more than 3,000 beneficiaries reportedly received opportunities to study abroad, as an example of the development model he hoped to replicate nationally.
Presenting his development proposal to the NDC leadership, Kwankwaso said he had explained how his administration implemented the scholarship programme without borrowing from domestic or foreign financial institutions.
“Our intention is that, I showed them what we did in Kano and they agreed, he (Obi) did a similar thing in Anambra, under no condition will the son of a common man be left out, we’ll fix classrooms, recruit qualified teachers, fix primary, secondary and tertiary institutions just like we sent over 3,000 scholars to other parts of the world.
“We achieved this without incurring any form of debts either from the domestic or foreign banks. All we did was to block avenues for corruption, and this is what we intend to do for Nigeria as soon as we’re elected,” he said.
The NDC vice-presidential candidate also criticised the country’s political leadership, accusing some members of the National Assembly of routinely approving presidential proposals without adequately considering their implications for Nigerians.
He particularly faulted lawmakers over the passage of the tax reform bills, alleging that the process was handled despite concerns about the potential burden on ordinary citizens.
“The worst part of it is that the session for the approval of the tax bill was chaired by one of us from Kano. Even the Senate President intentionally refused to attend because he did not want to be part of it,” Kwankwaso alleged.
He further accused the Federal Government of delaying the implementation of tax collection measures because of concerns about the political consequences ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, Nigerians could face more aggressive tax enforcement if the APC secures another term in office.
“The bill has been passed into law, but the Federal Government is now afraid of losing the election. That is why it has delayed the collection.
“As soon as they get a second chance, God forbid, Nigerians will suffer from different kinds of tax collection. They will start going from house to house, checking even under your bed to collect taxes,” he added.
Kwankwaso also urged Nigerians, particularly young voters, not to take the 2027 elections for granted or rely blindly on political promises.
He described the NDC candidates who emerged from the party’s primaries as relatively new entrants without records of alleged misconduct, expressing confidence in their ability to offer an alternative to established political figures.
Those presented with certificates of return included Babangida Haruna, the party’s deputy governorship candidate; Sabo Gaske, Jigawa North-West Senatorial District candidate; Engr. Sa’id Hassan Muhammad, Ringim/Taura Federal Constituency candidate; and 31 State Assembly candidates.
The NDC governorship candidate in Jigawa, Dr Aminu Musa Dutse, also pledged to overhaul the state’s administration if elected, identifying the plight of pensioners as one of the areas requiring urgent attention.
Dutse promised to improve the welfare of retirees and revitalise the state’s education sector, which he described as being in a near-comatose condition.
He said the people of Jigawa valued education but needed a new direction capable of improving standards and expanding opportunities.
