North, South-East best political alliance ever – Sambo

Sumner Sambo, Director of News, Arise News, has noted that the best political alliances Nigeria has always had is between the North and Southeast.

He said that from the first republic with Nnamdi Azikiwe, Ahmadu Bello and Tafawa Balewa and in the second republic with Alex Ekwueme, alongside Shehu Shagari, Nigeria had its best political alliances.

Sambo was particularly commenting on Peter Obi alliance with Rabiu Kwankwaso and the coming together of their support groups to work in synergy ahead of the general elections.

He also spoke about the significance of Peter Obi’s recent visit to Bauchi State, which according to him, was massive.

“I was in that company of Obi when we went around the country in 2022. The very first place we went was Bauchi, where we had to even visit the Abubakar Tafa Balewa Mausoleum and some of the visuals about Obi, whenever I take a look at them, I’ll see that very first act that we took going around there, and then see him going there today again, but this time around, not going alone, not going with a few people.

“I mean, when we went there in 2022 Obi was relatively unknown, though the Governor hosted him then, but now Obi was going to the same state, and this time around, going with huge political weight and then very strong politicians. I mean, some very top leaders from the South East. You will see that that delegation was actually very, very strong.

“And I’m thinking that the rhetoric that will come out of that meeting will be something that will help to forge an alliance between the North and the South, especially the South East, build bridges more and then help to reduce this tension that we’ve always had.

“Look, the best political alliances that we’ve always had in the country between the North and south have always been between the North and the South East. That is from the First Republic. There has always been that arrangement. Those are the kind of mature politics that we should be seeing at this moment, not the kind of rhetoric that comes out, and it looks like Nigeria is going to war. And then some people are saying that, look, the south east will never be given opportunity.

“When I saw Peter Obi at the Government House in Bauchi I was really happy, because he was received wholeheartedly.”