Rabiu Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has called for renewed unity between northern Nigeria and the South-east, saying both regions share a longstanding political relationship that should be preserved and strengthened.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Igbo published on Wednesday, the former Kano State governor urged Nigerians to embrace forgiveness and work together for national unity, stressing that the South-east has historically been an ally of the North.

“We have to forgive ourselves. We have to work together as a family. The South-east has been our ally, our friends, over the years,” Kwankwaso said.

He recalled that during the First Republic, the Northern People's Congress (NPC), the dominant political party in the North, formed an alliance with the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), led by Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, describing the partnership as an example of the inclusive politics practised by Nigeria's founding leaders.

Kwankwaso also pointed to the Second Republic, when the National Party of Nigeria (NPN), led by former President Shehu Shagari, maintained strong political ties with leaders from the South-east.

“During the time of our fathers and grandfathers in politics, the NPC, which was mainly a northern political party, had an alliance with the NCNC headed by Nnamdi Azikiwe,” he said.

“Even in the Second Republic, our leaders, including Shagari, reached out to the South-east and Anambra State. Our leaders had foresight.”

According to him, Nigeria's political class demonstrated a commitment to national healing after the civil war by deliberately reintegrating the South-east into the country's democratic process.

“The civil war ended in 1970. By 1978 and 1979, when democracy returned, the first thing our leaders said was, ‘They are not our enemies. Let’s bring them in and work together.’

“Our leaders worked with them, and that was how Alex Ekwueme became the vice president.”

Kwankwaso described the late Alex Ekwueme as a trusted friend of the North, recalling that he attended the former vice president’s burial in Oko, Anambra State.

“I went to Oko, his hometown, during Alex Ekwueme’s burial. Throughout his life, he remained our friend. It was only the interruption of democracy that affected that relationship,” he said.

The former governor also cited the return of the late Biafran leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, from exile as another example of reconciliation after the civil war.

According to him, the NPN facilitated Ojukwu’s return to Nigeria, where he later contested a Senate seat despite his role during the war.

“The NPN, a mainly northern party, invited Ojukwu back. He returned, contested for the Senate and lost. But despite the fact that he led Biafra, our leaders chose to forgive and move the country forward,” he said.

Kwankwaso stressed that lasting peace and political stability can only be achieved through forgiveness and national inclusion rather than division.

“We cannot remain in the same country and continue fighting one another. We must have the spirit of forgiveness, regardless of who offended whom,” he said.

“We in the North have decided to revisit history and work with the South-east. That does not mean we are against the South-west or any other part of the country. We are all friends.”

He further argued that no region or religious group can successfully govern Nigeria without broad national support.

“You cannot play politics in this country based only on religion, ethnicity, the North or the South. At this level, politics requires the support of the entire nation,” he added.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, is the running mate to Peter Obi, an Anambra-born politician, on the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket for the 2027 presidential election.