A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, (NDC), Engineer Buba Galadima, has described the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket as Nigeria’s “healing ticket,” saying he and others backed the NDC’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, because they believe his partnership with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso can salvage the country, foster national unity, and heal long-standing divisions between the North and Southeast.

In an exclusive interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, Galadima said the alliance was built on the conviction that Nigeria needs reconciliation rather than division, arguing that Obi should be seen as a Nigerian leader rather than an ethnic candidate and urging Nigerians to move beyond the grievances of the civil war era.

“It is our belief that this is the only ticket that can salvage Nigeria. Not only salvage it, but it is a ticket we call the ‘healing ticket,’ designed so that we can forget the past. We decided as a people—at least Senator Kwankwaso and myself—that we will attempt to heal the wounds of the past. We will make every sacrifice possible to bring about this healing between the Southeast and the North,” Galadima said.

Galadima dismissed suggestions that the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance was merely a political calculation ahead of the elections, insisting it was a genuine national reconciliation project aimed at healing longstanding divisions and rebuilding trust between the North and the Southeast.

“I can bring up Dr. Simon Okeke. You know Dr. Simon Okeke is a highly respected figure around this part of the country, the former Chairman of the Police Service Commission. You ought to know him; he is an outstanding leader. I have been on this project with him for over two and a half years, and it has yielded some results. For the last year, can you point out to me one prominent Igbo leader who has gone out to campaign solely for an ‘Igbo presidency’? We are making Peter Obi a Nigerian president, not an Igbo president.

“When elections like this approach, issues usually emerge from the Southeast, or people are attacked, or perhaps southeasterners are targeted elsewhere. Can you remember the last time there was a serious skirmish between northerners and southeasterners in either region? Is that not a credit to the work some people have done? If you do not communicate, you cannot understand each other. And this is what we have set out to heal. We have looked at several issues. What are the problems of Nigeria? We specifically zeroed in on the problems of the northern region, part of which is security, part of which is agriculture, and part of which is education.

“Peter Obi has agreed that if he becomes the President of Nigeria, he will not only address these three issues personally, but he will make us part of those who will work on these issues. If the government fails, it would not be Obi alone; it is us who were part of trying to see what can be done about security in northern Nigeria,” he maintained.

Defending the alliance against critics, Galadima said there was no justification for criticising those backing Peter Obi, noting that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had repeatedly chosen running mates from the Southeast.

“We have been called several names: ‘Oh, you are bringing an Igbo man.’ Unfortunately, it’s not only the ruling APC government criticizing us, but even some opposition political parties. Instead of fighting our common opponent, which is the APC and its government, we are fighting ourselves.

“We ask: Where did we get Obi from? We got Obi from Atiku. He was Atiku’s vice-presidential candidate. Atiku ran with Senator Ben Obi as his vice-presidential candidate, he ran with Peter Obi as his vice-presidential candidate, and he ran with Ifeanyi Okowa as his vice-presidential candidate. Now we are hearing he might run with another south-easterner as his vice-presidential candidate. So, can anybody supporting Atiku be justified in denigrating us by claiming that we are wrongly promoting Igbo people?”, he questioned.

Speaking on the country’s political culture, Galadima acknowledged that his generation contributed to Nigeria’s ethnic and religious divisions, stressing that the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket is about Nigeria.

“Of course, we did create this problem. We were part of it. Those who have nothing to offer always fall back on simple issues of religion and tribe. This ticket is not about Igbos, Hausas, Yorubas, Islam, or Christianity. This ticket is about Nigeria,” he emphasised.

Adding, the political ally of Senator Kwankwaso said the alliance would prioritise tackling unemployment, insecurity and economic decline through investments in agriculture, education and skills acquisition, if elected into office.

“We have sat down, analyzed Nigeria, looked at the size of our population, and zeroed in on exactly what we must do should God grant us this power.

“Let me tell you one thing. Since the APC government came to power, the greatest employer in Nigeria—which is agriculture—has been neglected. Not only has it been neglected, but they also imported food to crash local prices, making it completely unprofitable to go to the farm.

“These are the immediate issues we will address if we win this election—and we can win, God willing. We will teach young men and women, including graduates, practical skills so they can look after themselves and become employers of labor.

“Furthermore, we will use agriculture to produce raw materials and drive local manufacturing. Any country that cannot feed itself is a slave. We struggle to manufacture a needle or even a toothpick in this country, yet someone tells us they are re-engineering the economy. They claim they are fighting corruption. Let us have a chance,” he said. (AriseNews TV)

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