A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Buba Galadima, has defended calls for a political alliance between Northern Nigeria and the South-East ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time program on Wednesday, Galadima said supporters of a proposed Peter Obi–Rabiu Kwankwaso ticket have faced unfair criticism from opponents.
He was reacting to recent remarks by Kwankwaso, the NDC’s vice-presidential candidate, who advocated stronger political cooperation between the two regions.
Galadima argued that such alliances are not new in Nigeria’s political history. He referenced the First Republic, when leaders of the Northern People’s Congress (NPC), including Ahmadu Bello and Kashim Ibrahim, worked alongside National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) figures such as Nnamdi Azikiwe to secure independence.
According to him, this collaboration reflected Nigeria’s “unity in diversity” before it was disrupted by the 1966 military coup.
He maintained that the collapse of the First Republic should not be blamed on civilian leaders but on military intervention, stressing that political cooperation across regions had previously strengthened national unity.
Galadima also criticized ongoing political divisions, noting that both ruling and opposition parties have targeted supporters of the proposed alliance instead of focusing on broader national challenges.
He further questioned the criticism directed at supporters of Peter Obi, pointing out that Obi had previously served as a running mate to other prominent political figures, including Atiku Abubakar.
The remarks come amid growing discussions around potential political realignments ahead of the 2027 elections.
