Atiku Under Pressure to Step Aside as Obi-Kwankwaso Joint Ticket Picks Up Steam

The aftermath of the Ibadan opposition summit is already reshaping the anti-Tinubu coalition’s internal dynamics — and Atiku Abubakar may end up its biggest casualty.

Multiple reports confirm the former Vice President is under growing pressure from opposition stakeholders to step aside from his 2027 presidential ambition, as momentum builds around a possible joint ticket featuring former Anambra Governor Peter Obi and ex-Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform.

What gives this pressure credibility is Atiku’s own response. He has signalled willingness to step aside if Obi emerges as the coalition’s consensus candidate — stating that 2027 represents his last presidential outing regardless. For a politician who has pursued the presidency multiple times, that is a notable concession.

Obi and Kwankwaso Moving Fast

While Atiku considers his options, Obi and Kwankwaso are not waiting. They are actively courting northern political leaders to secure backing for a joint ADC ticket — a pairing that would combine Obi’s base in the South-East and urban middle class with Kwankwaso’s followership across the North-West.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has also formally offered Obi and Kwankwaso a platform for their joint ticket, signalling that smaller parties are already positioning to benefit from wherever the opposition lands.

The 2027 presidential picture is shifting fast. What looked like a straightforward Atiku-led opposition bid a few months ago is now a more fluid, contested landscape where new alliances are forming and old certainties are dissolving.

Sources: Daily Post, BusinessDay