Vice-Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has described the 2027 general election as a battle between Nigerians and what he called “the oppressors”, urging citizens to unite beyond political party lines to rescue the country.

Kwankwaso reportedly made the declaration when he received a delegation of South-East leaders and stakeholders of the Kwankwaso National Network (KNN), led by the group’s South-East Zonal Coordinator, Dr Ukpai Iro Ukpai, at his Maitama, Abuja residence.

Ukpai, who disclosed this in an interview with our Correspondent in Umuahia, said the delegation was at the former Kano State governor’s residence to brief him on KNN’s activities and mobilisation efforts towards securing a landslide victory for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket in the South-East in 2027.

According to Ukpai, Kwankwaso told the delegation that growing dissatisfaction with the state of affairs in the country had created a strong desire among Nigerians for a political reset.

He said the 2027 election should not be reduced to a contest between political parties but viewed as a decisive choice about the future of Nigeria.

“It is not about me, it is about us,” Kwankwaso was quoted as saying, while urging KNN members and supporters of the alliance to remain committed to the struggle beyond the 2027 election.

The former Kano governor also reportedly said the outcome of the recent Osun governorship election had shown that votes could count in 2027 if Nigerians remained resolute in defending their mandates.

He urged Nigerians to resist electoral fraud and vote selling, stressing that no immediate personal gain is more important than the future of the country.

Kwankwaso, according to Ukpai, charged KNN leaders to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election.

The South-East delegation subsequently pledged to work towards delivering at least five million votes for the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket across the region.

Ukpai said the delegation also briefed Kwankwaso on KNN’s structures, activities, challenges and mobilisation efforts across the South-East, with emphasis on strengthening the alliance and consolidating grassroots support.

He said Kwankwaso expressed satisfaction with the growing activities of KNN, describing the network as one of the powerful support groups behind the political movement.

The former governor also reportedly recalled the historic political cooperation between the North and South-East, citing the Second Republic alliance between former President Shehu Shagari and Dr Alex Ekwueme.

“The North has always worked in alliance with the South, especially the South-East. President Shehu Shagari picked Dr Alex Ekwueme as his Vice. Today, what is most important, history is repeating itself,” he was quoted as saying.

Kwankwaso also described the NDC as the biggest opposition platform in the country and expressed confidence that its political strength would continue to grow.

He reportedly lamented insecurity, poor infrastructure, unreliable electricity and water supply, declining educational standards and challenges in agriculture, insisting that Nigerians urgently needed a change of direction.

According to the South East KNN Coordinator, Kwankwaso also promised that education would receive priority under the Obi-Kwankwaso administration, regretting what he described as the continued neglect and deterioration of the sector.

National Coordinator of KNN, Asiwaju Mashood Shitu, according to Ukpai, described the South-East delegation’s engagement with Kwankwaso as evidence of the growing commitment of the network across the country.

Shitu reportedly commended the level of mobilisation in the region, saying KNN had developed a grassroots structure capable of delivering victory in 2027.

“They are doing great. They are doing wonderful. It’s a visionary movement,” he was quoted as saying, describing the report from the South-East as evidence that “there is future in it.”

He added that the mobilisation was “a very big sign of victory ahead of 2027”, stressing that KNN would focus not only on winning votes but also on protecting the people’s mandates during the election.

‘South-East will deliver 5m votes’ — Ukpai

Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, Ukpai described the engagement as “emotional and exciting”, saying it provided an opportunity for the South-East KNN leadership to directly present its achievements, vision and expectations to Kwankwaso.

According to him, Kwankwaso was impressed by the stability and growing strength of the network in the region and pledged his support for its mobilisation efforts.

“He’s excited that the Southeast KNN is very stable, very excited about the alliance and forward-looking, not just about today but about the future,” Ukpai said.

Ukpai who commended Kwankwaso for accepting to shelve his presidential ambition for a joint ticket with Peter Obi, said the South East would continue to appreciate him even after 2027.

On the expected performance of the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket in the South-East, Ukpai said the regional structure was determined to deliver at least five million votes.

“I promise that based on the enthusiasm and the hard work of Southeast KNN members, we will deliver five million votes, if not more,” he declared.

Ukpai said the meeting ended with a renewed commitment by the South-East KNN leadership to deepen grassroots mobilisation and translate the growing support for the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance into votes in the 2027 presidential election. (Vanguard)

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