Former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has revealed that he and his supporters received no rewards after delivering nearly two million votes to help former President Muhammadu Buhari secure victory in the 2015 election, an experience he says pushed him toward seeking political change.
Speaking in an interview with Arise TV on Monday, Kwankwaso recounted the personal cost of backing Buhari in the election that ended 16 years of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rule at the federal level.
“I worked so hard. We brought about 1.9, almost 2 million votes. But as politicians, we are not recognised. We put our lives even on the line at that time. Unfortunately, we could not see any benefit either as individuals or the constituencies that we represented,” he said.
The former governor did not specify what he had expected in return nor detail what the Buhari administration failed to deliver.
He reviewed successive governments since 1999 to explain why he believes the country is now ripe for genuine change. He described Olusegun Obasanjo’s tenure as commendable, noted that Umaru Yar’Adua faced severe health challenges, and said Goodluck Jonathan’s time in office was complicated by a disputed agreement that he would serve only one term.
“Everybody knows there are issues with this administration again,” Kwankwaso said of the current Tinubu government.
“And therefore, people are determined at grassroots level, and even at the level we are operating now, that there should be some level of changes.”
He argued that the failures of those years had created conditions for the wave of support the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has received since he and Peter Obi formally joined the party on 3 May.
“Since we decided to join NDC, Nigerians have decided to come and join us. People are opening offices everywhere across the world. So we are happy about that,” he added.
Kwankwaso also said his years in politics had taught him that a president from one’s own region is no guarantee of good governance – a view that informed his support for zoning the NDC’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South.
“Those of us in the political trenches would tell you that it is not only the man from your end that would make the country move forward.
“What is key is to have quality leadership, people who are enthusiastic, determined and committed to give the country the leadership it deserves,” he said.
