2027: Northern Leaders Have Chosen to Reconcile With South-East, Says Kwankwaso

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has said political leaders in Northern Nigeria have resolved to strengthen ties with the South-East, insisting that national unity and forgiveness must take precedence over historical divisions.

Speaking during an interview with BBC Igbo, the former Kano State governor said the North’s decision reflects lessons from Nigeria’s political history, where leaders from different regions collaborated despite the scars left by the Nigerian Civil War.

Kwankwaso pointed to the alliance between the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) led by Nnamdi Azikiwe during the First Republic as an example of cross-regional cooperation. He also noted that successive Northern leaders continued to work with prominent South-East politicians after the civil war.

“We have to forgive ourselves and work together as one family. The South-East has been our ally and friend over the years,” he said.

The former governor recalled that after the civil war ended in 1970, political leaders chose reconciliation over division. He cited the emergence of the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Nigeria’s Vice President, describing him as a respected national figure who enjoyed widespread support across regional lines.

Kwankwaso also referenced the return of former Biafran leader Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu to active politics, noting that the then National Party of Nigeria (NPN), widely regarded as Northern-dominated, welcomed him back into the country’s democratic process.

“The NPN, a Northern party, invited Ojukwu to come back. He returned, contested for the Senate and lost, but despite leading Biafra during the civil war, our leaders chose forgiveness and decided to move forward,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria’s political future depends on building partnerships across ethnic and religious lines rather than deepening divisions based on region or faith.

Kwankwaso stressed that renewed cooperation between the North and the South-East should not be interpreted as hostility toward any other part of the country, including the South-West. He maintained that every region has a place in Nigeria’s democratic journey.

“We can’t be in the same country and keep fighting. We need the spirit of forgiveness. Working with the South-East does not mean we are fighting the South-West or any other zone. We are all friends. Politics should not be about North or South, Muslim or Christian at this stage.”

The remarks come as political realignments continue ahead of the 2027 general election, with parties and regional leaders exploring new alliances that could shape the next presidential contest.