A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has said he and his supporters received no benefit after helping former President Muhammadu Buhari win the 2015 election, while also blaming the death of former President Umar Musa Yar’adua for the confusion surrounding Nigeria’s zoning arrangement.

Kwankwaso spoke during an interview on Arise TV on Monday, where he reflected on the 2015 election, the country’s leadership since 1999 and the debate over the zoning of the 2027 presidency.

According to him, he delivered nearly two million votes for Buhari during the 2015 presidential election, but neither he nor his supporters benefited from the administration.

“I worked so hard. We brought about 1.9, almost 2 million votes. But as politicians, we were not recognised. We put our lives even on the line at that time. But unfortunately, we could not see any benefit either as individuals or the constituencies that we represented,” he said.

Kwankwaso said dissatisfaction with successive administrations had increased the demand for political change across the country, adding that Nigerians were now rallying behind the NDC following his defection alongside Peter Obi on May 3.

The former Kano governor also defended the NDC’s decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, saying the controversy over power rotation began after Yar’adua died in office in 2010.

“We believe the best way to go now is to take it to the south so that we can eliminate the confusion, the confusion that emanated from the death of our brother, our friend, Umar Musa Yar’adua. That actually introduced the confusion into the system,” he said.

Kwankwaso noted that although people interpreted the zoning arrangement differently, the party adopted the position that power should remain in the South after Buhari’s eight-year tenure.

He added that competent leadership was more important than regional considerations, stressing that Nigeria needed leaders who were committed to moving the country forward.

“I believe it’s good for us to have consensus; there’s no point fighting. What is key now is not presidency from the north or south but quality leadership – people who are enthusiastic, determined and committed to giving the country the leadership it deserves.

“Now, those of us in the political trenches will tell you that it’s not only the man from your end that will make the country move forward.”

The post We got nothing after Buhari’s 2015 victory; Yar’adua’s death caused zoning confusion – Kwankwaso appeared first on Vanguard News.