•Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso (left) during a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, yesterday
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, yesterday visited the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, where they called for national unity and improved security.
The meeting took place in Sokoto ahead of the duo’s town-hall engagements in the state.
Obi, in a post on X, said the visit provided an opportunity to discuss the need to unite and secure Nigeria, tackle poverty, create employment and rebuild confidence in the country.
He said the delegation also condoled with the Sultan over the recent death of the Sardauna of Sokoto.
“Today, ahead of our town-hall engagements in Sokoto, Sokoto State, I had the privilege of paying a courtesy visit to His Eminence, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, alongside my brother and running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and members of our team,” Obi said.
In the Caliphate with a Message of Hope for the Poor and Unity in Nigeria.
According to him, the Sultan recalled that he had known him for almost 46 years, since 1980, when he was in his first year at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, and had maintained a cordial relationship with him since then.
Obi said the Sultan reminded the delegation that leadership carries a responsibility for which leaders would ultimately be held accountable.
He added that the Sultan identified security, poverty and employment as three critical priorities for Nigeria.
The former Anambra State governor also said the Sultan urged that the country’s diversity of tribes should be treated as a strength rather than a weakness.
Obi and Kwankwaso are running on the NDC platform, with Obi as the presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as his running mate.
The pairing brings together two politicians who contested separately in the 2023 presidential election. Obi contested under the Labour Party, while Kwankwaso ran under the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
In the 2023 election, Obi finished third behind the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar and the winner, President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress.
The political configuration has since changed ahead of the 2027 election.
Atiku is now seeking the presidency on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, while President Tinubu is seeking a second term. Omoyele Sowore will contest under the African Action Congress.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for January 16, 2027.
Meanwhile, the Commission has officially published the final list of the 18 presidential candidates and their running mates.
