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

Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has said Northern leaders have resolved to strengthen political ties with the South-East, stressing that the region should no longer be viewed through the lens of the civil war.

Speaking during an interview with BBC Igbo, the former Kano State governor said Nigeria’s political history shows that Northern and South-Eastern leaders have repeatedly worked together for national unity despite past divisions.

Kwankwaso recalled that the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) formed an alliance with the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, during the First Republic. He also noted that in the Second Republic, the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) partnered with prominent South-Eastern politicians, leading to the emergence of the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Vice President.

According to him, the end of the Nigerian Civil War in 1970 marked the beginning of efforts by political leaders to rebuild relationships across regional lines.

He further referenced the return of the late Biafran leader, Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, from exile, noting that the NPN facilitated his return to Nigeria, after which he contested for a Senate seat.

Kwankwaso said the decision to move beyond the wounds of the civil war reflected the spirit of forgiveness embraced by the country’s leaders at the time.

“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.

He emphasized that the renewed partnership with the South-East should not be interpreted as hostility toward any other region, including the South-West.

“We can’t be in the same country and start fighting. We need to have the spirit of forgiveness. I’m happy that we in the North have decided to go back to history and work with the South-East. That does not mean we are fighting the South-West or any other zone. We are all friends,” he added.

Kwankwaso also urged Nigerians to reject politics based on religion or regional identity, insisting that national unity should take precedence over ethnic and religious divisions.