Ex-Buhari aide says Kwankwaso has more political experience than Obi
- Bashir Ahmad, a former aide to Muhammadu Buhari, said Rabiu Kwankwaso's political resume is longer than Peter Obi's.
- He cited Kwankwaso's time as deputy speaker, two-term Kano governor and federal minister.
- Ahmad said Kwankwaso accepting the running mate slot on the NDC ticket shows political modesty.
A former media aide to the late ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, has weighed in on the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential ticket, arguing that the running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, has a longer political record than the party's flag bearer, Peter Obi.
Ahmad made the point in a post on X on Sunday, according to reports by Daily Post and Naija News. He said the two men should be seen as political colleagues rather than a principal and a subordinate.
"If we are assessing political experience, Sen. Kwankwaso probably has a longer and more impressive political background than Peter Obi," Ahmad wrote.
What Ahmad said about their records
According to Ahmad, Kwankwaso was already Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives before Obi entered national politics. He said Kwankwaso later served two terms as governor of Kano State and also held office as a federal minister.
He described Obi as a former governor of Anambra State, saying the former governor's record is shorter by comparison.
Ahmad also said Kwankwaso's decision to accept the number two slot should be read as a sign of political humility rather than inferiority. He wrote that the relationship between the two should be "characterised as one of collegiality between peers, rather than a hierarchy of principal and subordinate."
The remarks are an opinion from a former presidential spokesman, not a statement from the NDC or from either man on the ticket. Neither Obi nor Kwankwaso has responded in the reports reviewed.
Why it matters
The comments add to the debate over who leads and who deputises on the NDC ticket. For ordinary voters, the argument is about experience: how many years in office, and at what level, should count when picking a president and his deputy.
Kano is Nigeria's most populous state, and Ahmad cited Kwankwaso's two terms there as part of his case. The sources here do not include any response from Obi's camp.
What happens next: The NDC and other parties are expected to keep making their case to voters. Watch for direct responses from Obi's camp and from the party on how the ticket is presented to Nigerians.
