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Former Kano Governor and 2027 NDC presidential hopeful Rabiu Kwankwaso has knocked former Borno Governor Ali Modu Sheriff over his claim that Peter Obi cannot get northern support. In a statement on X early Wednesday, Kwankwaso said he watched Sheriff’s Channels TV interview with disappointment. “After a prolonged absence from public discourse, one would have expected that time away might have sharpened Senator Sheriff’s judgment. Regrettably, that does not appear to be the case,” he said. Kwankwaso faulted Sheriff’s dismissal of Obi’s northern strength, noting that in his first presidential outing, Obi secured approximately 2.8 million votes in the North – “a remarkable achievement that cannot be dismissed lightly.” He said current economic and social hardship and failure of the ruling administration have even strengthened prospects of the “OK ticket” (Obi-Kwankwaso alliance) in the region. According to him, the inclusion of a prominent northern figure who previously secured about 1.45 million votes in the North further boosts the alliance’s electoral chances. Kwankwaso rejected Sheriff’s claim that Kano will not vote Obi, insisting Kano residents are “neither bigoted nor xenophobic” and have historically backed any credible ticket presented under the Kwankwasiyya movement. He urged Sheriff to focus on security and humanitarian crises bedeviling Borno instead of making divisive remarks on national television. “The OK ticket currently represents the best opportunity for Nigerians to reset the country and place it on a path of competence, unity, and progress,” Kwankwaso added.