Former governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abdullahi Ganduje, has said the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, lack the governance records and political legacy required to secure victory in the 2027 presidential election.
Ganduje made the remark while speaking with newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
He also dismissed the possibility of an Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, saying it would fail to gain support in Kano State.
“I don’t think Peter Obi and Kwankwaso’s ticket will succeed in Kano. It will not succeed. In fact, it is dead on arrival,” he said.
While interrogating Obi’s tenure as governor of Anambra State, Ganduje said the former governor had not demonstrated the leadership credentials required to govern the country.
“Peter Obi was a governor in Anambra State. What did he do as a governor? What legacy did he leave as a governor?.
“And from that, what other responsibility in governance did he hold where he made a mark to the extent that we believe he will be able to manage this country effectively and efficiently?” he asked.
He also criticised Kwankwaso’s political record, noting that unlike some former Kano governors, he did not serve two consecutive terms.
“Kwankwaso too, he was a governor of Kano State. He was not able to be a governor back-to-back.
“So far, the two other governors in Kano were able to win elections back-to-back. Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau was able to spend eight years straight. Myself, I was able to spend eight years straight.
“But he was not able, after the first term, to return until after eight years,” Ganduje said.
Ganduje argued that Kwankwaso had not left a legacy capable of convincing voters that he could effectively serve at the national level.
“So I don’t think, even in Kano, what legacy specifically can you say that he has left in Kano that will convince the people of Kano and the people of Nigeria that he will be a successful vice-president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?
“I think that, as I earlier said, it is dead on arrival,” he said.
