New Details Emerge on 2027 Alliance Plan Between Peter Obi, Kwankwaso in ADC
- Moves to produce a joint 2027 presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso are intensifying within and around the ADC
- Sources claim the push involves top opposition figures, power brokers and retired military officers, while Obasanjo is believed to still strongly back Obi
- While Obi has joined ADC, Kwankwaso remains in NNPP, but his support group has openly endorsed an Obi-Kwankwaso alliance as a strong challenge to APC
Moves to produce a joint presidential ticket featuring former Anambra governor Peter Obi and ex-Kano governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general election are gaining momentum, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) increasingly at the centre of opposition permutations.
Multiple sources said the renewed push is being driven by opposition stakeholders who believe an Obi–Kwankwaso alliance would offer the strongest chance of unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election cycle.
Source: Twitter
Sources who spoke with Daily Trust said the campaign is not limited to ADC members alone, adding that the lobbying effort cuts across party lines and involves senior opposition politicians, influential power brokers and even some retired military officers.
Although the ADC leadership has reportedly tried to downplay the agitation, those backing the proposal have continued to press their argument, insisting that combining both men’s political structures could significantly alter the 2027 contest.
There are also claims that former president Olusegun Obasanjo is not only sympathetic to the proposed arrangement but remains one of the strongest promoters of Obi’s presidential ambition, as opposition leaders quietly explore a broader coalition.
How Obi and Kwankwaso tried to team up in 2023
Obi and Kwankwaso were the presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), respectively, during the 2023 election.
Before the polls, both camps reportedly explored the possibility of an alliance, but the talks collapsed.
Sources attributed the breakdown to disagreements over the structure of the ticket, including who would emerge as the presidential candidate and who would take the vice-presidential slot.
Kwankwaso, on his part, won Kano state decisively, once again demonstrating the strength of his Kwankwasiyya political movement in one of Nigeria’s largest voting blocs. He finished fourth behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and Obi.
Why the opposition believes the ticket can work
The renewed push is coming against the backdrop of the 2023 election outcome, where both politicians recorded strong but largely regional performances.
Obi polled over six million votes nationwide, winning in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos and all five South-East states.
He also built a youth-driven and urban-based movement that pushed him to third place in the election.
Kwankwaso, on the other hand, secured a decisive victory in Kano state, reaffirming his dominance in one of Nigeria’s largest voting blocs through his Kwankwasiyya political movement.
He finished fourth, behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Obi.
Opposition figures pushing the alliance believe Obi’s South-East and urban support base, combined with Kwankwaso’s North-West influence, could create a wider national spread capable of challenging the APC in 2027.
Obi joins ADC, Kwankwaso stays back in NNPP
While Obi has now formally joined the ADC after months of speculation over his political direction, Kwankwaso remains in the NNPP.
However, sources said the former Kano governor has told loyalists he is consulting widely and would announce his next move when the time is right.
A senior ADC member familiar with the development said the idea is being widely debated among party members and opposition stakeholders, but has not been officially adopted within the party’s decision-making organs.
“The issue of pairing Obi with Kwankwaso has been on since the last election,” the source said.
“Many leaders believe that if Obi had run with Kwankwaso in 2023, they might have won. They see it as a missed opportunity.”
The source added that discussions are ongoing in several opposition quarters, but stressed that it has not become a formal agenda within the ADC hierarchy.
“It is more of party members and leaders thinking aloud and weighing which ticket can best remove the APC from power,” the source stated.
Obasanjo aide confirms support for Obi
When contacted, Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, said he was not aware of any meeting where the former president issued a directive to ADC leaders on producing an Obi-Kwankwaso ticket.
“How do I know if they gave a mandate when I am not aware there was a meeting?” Akinyemi asked.
However, he confirmed that Obasanjo is still backing Obi’s presidential ambition, just as he did during the 2023 election.
“That one I can confirm, yes. I can confirm his support for Obi’s presidential ambition,” he said.
Obasanjo had openly endorsed Obi in 2023 through an open letter to young Nigerians, where he argued that the former Anambra governor had an edge among the candidates.
Babangida “not taking sides”
Meanwhile, a source close to former military president Ibrahim Babangida said the retired general has not taken a clear position on the Obi-Kwankwaso discussions.
“He only advises and encourages those who want to contest. He hardly takes sides,” the source said.
“He has not discussed anything with me or any of his associates on the Obi-Kwankwaso issue.
Kwankwasiyya group openly backs Obi-Kwankwaso ticket
As permutations continue, the Kwankwaso Support Group (KSG) has openly declared support for a joint ticket pairing Obi and Kwankwaso on any viable platform.
The group said such an alliance could pose a serious challenge to the APC and respond to growing public frustration over insecurity, economic hardship and governance.
Source: Facebook
Speaking in Kano on Friday, the leader of the KSG, Abba Gwale, said the group’s position reflected what he described as the mood among Kwankwaso supporters across the country.
“As Kwankwaso supporters and loyalists, we have proposed and thrown our weight behind a joint presidential ticket, especially with Peter Obi, on any viable platform,” Gwale said.
“The current political trajectory has shown where the tide is shifting.”
Gwale also dismissed reports that Kwankwaso demanded major concessions from the APC in exchange for defecting from the NNPP, describing the claims as “outrageous”.
According to him, Kwankwaso remains focused on the welfare of ordinary Nigerians and his supporters across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Peter Obi redeclares 2027 presidential ambition
Legit.ng earlier reported that Peter Obi, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has declared his intention to contest in the 2027 presidential election in Nigeria.
Obi made the announcement while campaigning for the ADC candidate ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
Source: Legit.ng
