The vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has called for a renewed political partnership between Northern Nigeria and the South-East, saying the two regions have a long history of cooperation that should be revived.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Igbo, Kwankwaso urged Nigerians to embrace reconciliation, forgiveness and national unity, arguing that lasting political progress depends on collaboration across regional and ethnic lines.
“We have to forgive ourselves. We have to work together as a family. The South-East has been our ally and our friend over the years,” he said.
The former Kano State governor recalled the alliance between the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) during the First Republic, noting that leaders from both regions worked together to strengthen national unity.
He also referenced the Second Republic, saying the administration of former President Shehu Shagari maintained close political ties with leaders from the South-East, including the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
According to him, political leaders after the Civil War deliberately pursued reconciliation by integrating the South-East into national politics instead of treating the region as an adversary.
Kwankwaso cited the emergence of the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme as Nigeria’s Vice President as an example of that spirit of inclusion, describing the former vice president as a longstanding friend of the North.
He also referred to the return of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, from exile, saying Northern political leaders at the time supported his reintegration into democratic politics despite the country’s civil war history.
Kwankwaso stressed that rebuilding political ties with the South-East should not be interpreted as hostility towards any other region.
He said national politics requires broad-based cooperation rather than alliances built on religion, ethnicity or geography alone.
The comments come as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, with Kwankwaso running as the vice-presidential candidate of the NDC alongside the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
