Former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has criticised former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff over his comments about Peter Obi’s popularity in Northern Nigeria.
According to a report by Punch on Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in a statement shared on Wednesday, Kwankwaso expressed disappointment with Sheriff’s recent television interview. He argued that after spending a long time away from public discussions, many people would have expected Sheriff to return with better judgment, but he believed that was not the case.
Kwankwaso rejected Sheriff’s claim that Obi could not attract strong support in the North. He pointed out that Obi received about 2.8 million votes across the region in the 2023 presidential election, describing it as an impressive result for a first presidential contest.
He also argued that Nigeria’s current economic and social challenges, along with what he described as the poor performance of the ruling administration, have improved the chances of the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance, popularly called the “OK ticket.” He added that the alliance had become stronger with the support of a well-known Northern political figure who previously secured about 1.45 million votes in the region.
Kwankwaso further dismissed Sheriff’s suggestion that Kano voters would reject Obi. He maintained that Kano people have a history of supporting candidates endorsed by the Kwankwasiyya Movement regardless of ethnicity or region. He urged Sheriff to focus on the security and humanitarian problems facing Borno State instead of making divisive political comments.
In his words, “After a prolonged absence from public discourse, one would have expected that time away might have sharpened Senator Sheriff’s judgment. Regrettably, that does not appear to be the case….See More