KWANKWASO WILL BE EQUAL PARTNER, NOT ‘SPARE TYRE’, SAYS OBI

May 31, 2026 • Dons Eze • 2 min read

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will serve as an equal partner in government if they win the 2027 presidential election.

Obi made the declaration while unveiling Kwankwaso as his running mate at the NDC national convention held in Abuja.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate, who contested the 2023 election, said his administration would be built on consultation, inclusiveness and shared responsibility, stressing that the office of the vice president would not be relegated to a ceremonial role.

According to Obi, the government they intend to form would depart from the traditional perception of the vice president as a “spare tyre.”

“The government we intend to form will no longer be a government where anybody will say that the vice president is a spare tyre,” Obi said.

“The vice president will be a partner because we want to build a nation where there are two equal people who work for the greatness of the country.

“Decisions will be taken as partners. Everybody will be consulted. That is what we require, and that is how government functions.”

Obi subsequently accepted his nomination as the party’s presidential candidate and formally invited Kwankwaso to join him on the ticket.

“It is on this note that I graciously accept the affirmation as the candidate of this great party. And in the same spirit, I am inviting Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to join me as the vice-presidential candidate,” he said.

Obi and Kwankwaso were both candidates in the 2023 presidential election, finishing third and fourth respectively behind former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu, who won the contest.

Kwankwaso contested the election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and secured victory in Kano State, where he remains a major political figure.

Speaking on his choice of running mate, Obi said Kwankwaso shares his vision for the country, particularly in the areas of education, security and equal opportunities for all citizens.

“He believes in education and security. And we will work together to ensure it happens,” Obi said.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.