Obasanjo is the main sponsor of Obi-Kwankwaso presidential ticket – Osuntokun

A former Political Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Akin Osuntokun, has claimed that the former president is the driving force behind a proposed 2027 presidential ticket pairing Labour Party’s Peter Obi with former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Sunday, Osuntokun described the proposed Obi-Kwankwaso alliance as a stronger and more viable electoral option than the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential ticket, saying Obasanjo personally initiated the alliance.

“Look, Obasanjo is critical of Tinubu. If you can say that Obasanjo is supporting any ticket, it is Peter Obi and Kwankwaso. As a matter of fact, he is the main sponsor of that ticket,” Osuntokun said.

According to him, the former president was instrumental in bringing both politicians together.

“He was the one who brokered the ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso. Both of them are quite close to him,” he said.

Osuntokun added that the proposed alliance “makes sense” politically and could significantly influence the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.

“That, of course, is a ticket that makes sense and has the potential to make a lot of impact in the 2027 election. I can tell you that for free, that he was the one who brought the ticket together,” he said.

He argued that Kwankwaso’s political strength, particularly in Kano State, would make him a valuable running mate for Obi.

“Obi and Kwankwaso is a much more realistic, more compelling ticket than the 2023 one,” Osuntokun said, adding that Kwankwaso’s political base would be “a big bonus” for the alliance.