Former United States mayor Mike Arnold has rejected any possible political alliance between Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, calling such a ticket a “national disaster.”
Arnold made the remarks in a long post on X on Monday night, May 25, 2026, after the debate over possible 2027 political pairings gathered pace. His comments targeted the idea of a joint Obi-Kwankwaso ticket for Nigeria’s next presidential election.
“No, I am not ok with Obi-Kwankwaso — and you shouldn’t be, either,” Arnold wrote.
“I like Peter Obi. I am not sold on him yet, but he has potential, and I have an open mind.”
He then made clear what he would reject.
“What will close my mind instantly, without any wiggle room, is an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.”
Arnold said Nigeria did not need what he described as another version of the same political system.
“Nigeria does not need more of the same. It does not need different gasoline running through the same engine. It does not need a different conductor on the train — not when the train has to follow the same damnable tracks,” he wrote.
Arnold’s Claims
Arnold accused Kwankwaso of ties to terror and extremist networks, loyalty to the Sokoto Sultanate and corruption scandals.
He described the former Kano governor as “a sniveling bootlicker to Sokoto” and said Kwankwaso had changed political parties several times without changing his loyalty to the throne.
“Why am I against Kwankwaso? Simple. He is the Sultan’s man. Most inside of the inner circle. A sniveling bootlicker to Sokoto in a five-decade career arc that has changed parties five times — but never once strayed from fealty to the throne,” he alleged.
He also made claims about the current Sultan of Sokoto and the post-9/11 war on terror, saying only a few senior Nigerian officials knew what he described as sensitive assignments. Those claims were not independently verified in the post.
Arnold further linked his criticism to the 2006 plane crash that killed the late Sultan Muhammadu Maccido and others, as well as the military aircraft crash that killed senior officers in the same period.
“Incidentally, when the future Sultan returned from this post in 2006, not long after, the top ten reform-minded generals of the Nigerian Army died in a plane crash. The committee Obasanjo had assembled to clean up the military, gone in one flight,” he said.
Kwankwaso, Sharia And Hisbah
Arnold also attacked Kwankwaso’s record as governor of Kano State.
He said Kwankwaso declared Sharia law on June 21, 2000, and created the Hisbah Board, the religious enforcement body in Kano.
“As Governor of Kano State, Kwankwaso formally declared Sharia law on June 21, 2000, and established the Hisbah Board — the religious enforcement agency that has been arresting Kano residents for ‘improper dress’ and ‘indecent mixing of the sexes’ ever since,” Arnold stated.
He also referred to allegations of financial misconduct, including pension funds and a pharmaceutical procurement case involving Kwankwaso’s nephew.
Arnold ended with a direct warning to Obi.
“Sharia. Hisbah. Pension funds. Pharmaceutical contracts. The defence ministry during a genocide. A different party every cycle. And now the vice presidency.”
“That is why I will actively oppose any ticket with Kwankwaso on it. No matter who is on top.”
“Peter Obi, if you want my open mind, pick a running mate who is not a puppet of the Sultan.”
The post has now added fuel to the already heated 2027 succession talk, especially around possible coalition talks involving Obi and Kwankwaso.
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