NDC Zones Its Presidential Ticket As Obi, Kwankwaso Defect to Opposition Party
- The NDC has reportedly zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the south, following the defection of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso to the party
- Buba Galadima, a prominent chieftain of the NDC and close ally of Kwankwaso, disclosed the development in an interview on Monday, May 4, 2026
- Recall that Obi and Kwankwaso, who were former governors of Anambra and Kano, had dumped the ADC in pursuit of their 2027 presidential ambition
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reportedly zoned its 2027 presidential ticket to the south, hours after former governors of Anambra and Kano, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, defected to the party.
Buba Galadima, the chieftain of the party and a strong ally of the former governor of Kano, announced the zoning while featuring in an interview on Channels Television on Monday, May 4.
Source: Twitter
Why Obi, Kwankwaso dumped ADC for NDC
Obi and Kwankwaso had moved to the NDC after their earlier party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), was confronted with a series of legal battles. They cited the court cases as reasons for dumping the party.
Recall that Obi and Kwankwaso dumped the Labour Party and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) for the ADC in pursuit of their 2027 presidential ambitions, but the coalition-adopted party was already being confronted with legal battles and the fact that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may likely get the ticket.
The duo, who were projected to run a joint presidential and vice presidential ticket in the 2027 general election under the umbrella of the NDC, joined the party earlier on Monday, May 4.
While speaking on the preparation of the NDC ahead of the deadline of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Galadima disclosed that the party had zoned its presidential ticket to the south, a move that could favour Obi.
Nigerians react as NDC zones presidential ticket
The interview, however, has started generating reactions from Nigerians. Below are some of their comments:
Emeka Ezeanya commended the move:
"NDC just dropped the zoning bomb, presidential ticket locked to the South! Obi for President, Kwankwaso VP loading! ADC still dey drag zoning like say na joke while the real ticket don form. 2027 don already get owner!"
Source: Facebook
SenatorIcon mentioned what's next for the NDC:
"It’s what ADC should have done. However, it’s not enough to just zone the presidency to the south; they must seek and gain strong partnerships."
Ekuri questioned the move:
"Zoning to the South may ease internal balance, but it also narrows the field, raising the question of whether strategic inclusion outweighs open competition."
Casmir Ajems gave insight on Kwankwaso's political permutation:
"Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso isn’t naïve; he likely understands that with Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Nyesom Wike in the mix, defeating them right now would be difficult. So, he may be positioning himself for the long term, especially looking toward 2031. By aligning with what many see as the people’s choice, Peter Obi, he could be trying to strengthen his influence in the South, where his base is weaker. In that sense, he may be leveraging Obi’s popularity to build a political bridge to the region—something that Atiku Abubakar, as a northerner, successfully achieved in the past."
See the video of the interview on X here:
INEC takes reverses on ADC crisis
Legit.ng earlier reported that INEC reversed its decision to derecognise the leadership of David Mark, the former Senate president, in the ADC.
The decision came hours after the Supreme Court set aside the ruling of the Court of Appeal regarding the crisis rocking the ADC leadership.
INEC had earlier removed Mark’s name as party chairman from its website, but it reappeared after the Supreme Court ruling.
Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
