Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso has called for stronger political cooperation between Northern Nigeria and the South-East, saying leaders from both regions should embrace reconciliation and work together in the national interest.

Speaking in an interview with BBC Igbo, the former Kano State governor said Northern leaders had resolved to strengthen ties with the South-East, stressing that Nigeria’s unity depends on mutual understanding rather than regional or religious divisions.

Kwankwaso recalled that political cooperation between the North and the South-East dates back to the First Republic, when the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) formed an alliance with the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC), led by Nnamdi Azikiwe.

He also pointed to the Second Republic, noting that Northern political leaders maintained close ties with the South-East and later supported the emergence of the late Alex Ekwueme as Nigeria’s Vice President after the return to democratic rule.

According to him, Northern leaders also demonstrated reconciliation after the civil war by facilitating the return of former Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, who later contested for a Senate seat under the National Party of Nigeria (NPN).

Kwankwaso said these historical examples show that political leaders chose forgiveness over division after the civil war, adding that the same spirit should guide present-day politics.

“We have to forgive ourselves and work together as one family,” he said, adding that cooperation with the South-East should not be interpreted as hostility toward any other region.

He urged Nigerians to reject politics based on ethnicity or religion, insisting that national development requires collaboration among all regions of the country rather than sectional interests.