Obi–Kwankwaso 2027 alliance revealed as ADC opposition ticket takes shape

A political associate of Peter Obi has publicly claimed that former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso has agreed to serve as Obi’s running mate on an African Democratic Congress ticket for the 2027 presidential election. Ibrahim Abdulkarim made the claim during a Trust TV interview, and it sent immediate shockwaves through Nigeria’s political landscape.

“Yes, I can categorically tell you that they have agreed,” Abdulkarim said. “We all know that. Both the Obidients and the Kwankwassiyya Movements are aware of the agreement.” The claim follows Kwankwaso’s recent defection from the NNPP to the ADC, a move that set off speculation about a consolidated opposition ticket.

Obi’s spokesperson, Yunusa Tanko, separately pushed for the ADC presidential ticket to be zoned to the South. “The fact still remains that it’s a southern presidency at the moment,” Tanko said on Channels Television’s Politics Today. “To make it easy for the party to win, zone it to the South and give the candidacy to the South, and you are sure of winning.”

If confirmed, the alliance would combine Obi’s grassroots Obidient movement with Kwankwaso’s formidable Kwankwassiyya network in the North — a pairing that could change the arithmetic of the 2027 race entirely. But questions remain about whether the ADC’s internal leadership crisis can be sorted out in time to present a credible front.

Former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi piled on, telling Channels TV that with the ADC on the ballot, Tinubu will lose in 2027 regardless of whether the process is free. He accused the APC of using the judiciary to block strong opposition candidates and challenged the ruling party to allow fair contests.

The convergence of Kwankwaso’s defection, the alliance claim, and Amaechi’s declaration signals that the ADC is rapidly positioning itself as the main vehicle for opposition consolidation ahead of 2027.

Sources: NaijaNews, Matrix Nigeria, Channels TV