‘HE WON’T BE A SPARE TYRE’ — OBI SAYS RUNNING MATE KWANKWASO WILL BE EQUAL PARTNER. (PHOTO).

 Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to run an inclusive administration in partnership with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso if elected president in the 2027 general election.

Obi made the declaration on Saturday at the NDC national convention in Abuja, where he formally unveiled Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, as his vice-presidential running mate.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate said his administration would depart from the traditional structure in which vice presidents play limited roles, stressing that Kwankwaso would be an active partner in governance.

“The government we intend to form will no longer be a government where anybody will say that the vice president is a spare tyre,” Obi said.

According to him, decisions under an NDC administration would be taken collectively, with both leaders working as partners to advance the country's development.

“The vice president will be a partner because we want to build a nation where there are two equal people who work for the greatness of the country. Decisions will be taken as partners. Everybody will be consulted. That is what we require, and that is how government functions,” he said.

Obi said the decision to choose Kwankwaso was based on their shared commitment to national development, particularly in the areas of education, security and social inclusion.

“He believes in education and security. And we will work together to ensure it happens,” Obi said as he invited Kwankwaso to the podium.

Obi and Kwankwaso were among the leading contenders in the 2023 presidential election, where they finished third and fourth respectively behind former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who won the poll.

Kwankwaso contested the election on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), securing victory only in Kano State, where he continues to wield significant political influence.

The duo joined the NDC on May 3 after leaving the African Democratic Congress (ADC), citing uncertainties surrounding the future of the party.

Obi had earlier pledged to serve only a single four-year term if elected president, stating that his administration would focus on reducing the cost of governance and eliminating waste in public spending.