In a recent interview on Noire TV, the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, downplayed the significance of gubernatorial support in shaping election outcomes. He asserted that his track record from the last electoral cycle demonstrates that having governors on your side does not guarantee success.
Obi highlighted that despite entering the previous election without a single governor in his corner, he still managed to secure victories in 12 states. He further alleged that two additional states were effectively stolen from him through rigging tactics. “It doesn’t matter whether 36 governors are standing with the president. In the last election, I didn’t have any governor backing me, yet I won 12 states. Even after they rigged two away, I still ended up with 12. And with the Supreme Court decision incorporating Abuja, we now effectively have 37 states,” he stated.
He also referenced the performance of other candidates, noting that Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso won only Kano State. According to Obi, the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party each secured 12 states, but he lost two due to rigging, which would have given him 14 states in total. “So whether they gather all the governors, it’s irrelevant. What truly matters in this campaign is how to make Nigeria work for the poor,” Obi declared.