Kwankwaso also argued that many young people are becoming less concerned about ethnicity and religion, focusing instead on leadership and governance.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has provided further insight into his political alignment with former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stating that his daughter urged him to work with Obi during the 2023 general elections.
He made the disclosure on Monday during an interview on ARISE News, while discussing the evolving political attitudes among young Nigerians.
In 2023, Obi and Kwankwaso contested for the presidency on the platforms of the LP and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), respectively.
While the former Anambra governor came third with over 6.1 million votes, his Kano counterpart came fourth with 1.4 million votes. The eventual winner, President Bola Tinubu, secured 8.7 million votes.
Recently, Obi and Kwankwaso left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), with the latter backing the zoning of the presidential ticket to the Southern part of Nigeria.
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Speaking during his latest interview, the former Kano governor asserted that many young people are becoming less concerned about ethnicity and religion and are instead focusing on leadership and governance.
“Even in the 2023 election, in my own house, my own daughter was telling me to go and work with Peter Obi,” Kwankwaso said.
He further noted that political preferences among younger Nigerians often differ from those of older generations, adding that many political leaders have failed to understand the growing influence of the youth and social media on the country’s political direction.
“You have leaders who hardly have any contact with the young men and women,” he stated.
Kwankwaso added that younger voters are increasingly demanding credible leadership capable of addressing the country’s challenges, rather than relying on ethnic or religious sentiments.
“People are talking of religion. Some people are talking of ethnicity, but the younger people are looking for the right leadership for this country. And I think they are absolutely right,” he added.
