The Kwankwasiyya Movement like million Nigerians and free spirited northerners received with profound disappointment the recent remarks by former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, suggesting that Mr. Peter Obi the presidential candidate of NDC has no meaningful political future in Northern Nigeria.
In a statement signed by Dr. Habibu Sale Mohammed Spokesperson,Kwankwasiyya Movement said these comments are not only unfounded but also betray a patronizing view of Northern voters, as though millions of citizens are incapable of making independent political decisions without the approval of a few self-appointed political gatekeepers.
Let it be stated unequivocally: no individual has the mandate to decide for the entire North. Northern Nigeria is home to diverse political opinions, aspirations, and convictions. Its electorate has repeatedly demonstrated that it cannot be reduced to stereotypes or dictated to by political elites.
Our National Leader, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, correctly observed that the outcome of the 2023 presidential election clearly disproves the claim that any candidate is incapable of attracting support across regional boundaries. The votes cast across Northern Nigeria reflected the constitutional freedom of citizens to support candidates of their choice.
Attempts to rewrite this political reality neither serve democracy nor promote national unity. They instead encourage unnecessary divisions at a time when Nigerians expect their leaders to focus on the pressing challenges confronting the nation.
Today, the average Nigerian is worried about the rising cost of living, widespread insecurity, youth unemployment, declining purchasing power, the state of education, and access to quality healthcare. These are the issues deserving of serious political engagement—not narratives that seek to define the political choices of millions of voters.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement believes that leadership is earned through ideas, credibility, performance, and the confidence of the electorate, not through media declarations or claims of regional ownership.
As the political environment gradually evolves toward the 2027 general elections, we urge all political actors to embrace civility, respect democratic competition, and refrain from making statements capable of deepening regional or political divisions. Democracy thrives when citizens are free to choose, and when political parties compete on the strength of their ideas and records.
History has shown that Nigerians are increasingly independent in their political judgment. No amount of rhetoric can substitute for the verdict of the ballot box.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement will continue to defend democratic values, constitutional rights, and the principle that every Nigerian regardless of region, ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation has both the right to seek public office and the freedom to support the candidate of his or her choice
The future of Nigeria will be decided by the Nigerian people not by political gatekeepers.