Buba Galadima, a leading figure in the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has admitted the push to unite Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso on a joint presidential ticket faces real obstacles. Speaking on Arise Television's Prime Time show on Wednesday, the NDC chieftain stressed that while the alliance has hit resistance, these hurdles aren't impossible to overcome.
"We have a lot of problems," he said. "But the problems are not insurmountable.
We will overcome those problems."
Galadima dismissed calls for Nigerians to hold Obi accountable for the 1966 military coup, arguing the presidential candidate played no role in that historical event. He contended that individuals shouldn't bear responsibility for actions taken by others, particularly when the past divides the nation.
The NDC chieftain invoked the example of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the late Biafran leader whose actions triggered massive loss of life. Despite his controversial past, Ojukwu received a pardon after the Nigerian Civil War and later returned to participate in democratic processes.
"How old was Obi in 1966?" Galadima asked, emphasising the illogic of blaming someone for events preceding their political awareness. He noted that reconciliation requires looking beyond such grievances.
He recalled a conversation between his friend Dr D. N.
Okechukwu, who wrote about the 1966 coup, and a prominent northern leader. The leader initially refused to meet Okechukwu, citing claims that Igbos killed northern leaders during the coup.
Galadima urged this perspective to shift. He pointed out that if northern leaders died during the 1966 crisis, Igbos also suffered devastating casualties during the subsequent civil war and its aftermath.
"How many Igbos also got killed?" he asked rhetorically, underscoring that both communities bore the trauma of those decades.
Drawing a parallel to international diplomacy, Galadima cited the ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran. Despite America's military actions against Iranian leadership, including the killing of a previous leader's father, both nations remain at the negotiation table seeking peace.
"It doesn't matter," he said of past grievances standing in the way of dialogue. "If they are negotiating to make peace, why can't we?"
The NDC chieftain's comments come as the party seeks to position Obi as a unifying force capable of bridging Nigeria's ethnic and regional divides. Galadima maintained that moving forward requires constructive engagement across traditional fault lines rather than dwelling on historical resentments.
