Efforts to float a joint presidential ticket featuring former Anambra State governor Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso are gaining momentum within and beyond the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as opposition stakeholders prepare for the 2027 general elections.
While ADC leadership has sought to downplay the agitation, proponents of the proposed alliance argue that an Obi–Kwankwaso ticket would provide the strongest chance of unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Multiple sources told Daily Trust that the push cuts across party lines, involving senior opposition politicians, power brokers, and some retired military officers.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is widely believed to be supportive of Obi’s ambition, promoting efforts to build a credible opposition coalition.
Obi and Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 elections under the Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) respectively, had explored a similar alliance ahead of that election.
The talks, however, collapsed over disagreements about ticket structure and the presidential slot.
The renewed push comes against the backdrop of the 2023 election results, in which Obi secured over six million votes nationwide, dominating in the Federal Capital Territory, Lagos, and all five South-East states, while Kwankwaso maintained a stronghold in Kano State, finishing fourth in the presidential race.
Sources said that opposition figures believe a merger of Obi’s South-East and urban support base with Kwankwaso’s North-West influence could significantly alter the electoral equation in 2027.
A senior ADC member familiar with the discussions said: “The issue of pairing Obi with Kwankwaso has been on since the last election.
Many leaders believe that if Obi had run with Kwankwaso in 2023, they might have won.
They see it as a missed opportunity.”
While the discussions are ongoing, the ADC has not formally adopted the alliance as party policy.
“It is more of party members and leaders thinking aloud and weighing which ticket can best remove the APC from power,” the source added.
Obasanjo’s media aide, Kehinde Akinyemi, confirmed that the former president continues to support Obi’s presidential ambition, as he did during the 2023 election, but denied knowledge of any formal directive on the joint ticket.
Meanwhile, the Kwankwasiyya Support Group (KSG) has openly backed the proposed alliance, arguing that a partnership between Obi and Kwankwaso would create a powerful coalition capable of challenging the APC.
The group emphasized that any merger must come with a clear offer of either the presidential or vice-presidential slot.
Speaking in Kano, KSG leader Abba Gwale said: “As Kwankwaso supporters, we have proposed and thrown our weight behind a joint presidential ticket with Peter Obi.
The current political trajectory shows where the tide is shifting.
Gwale added that the proposed alliance would harness growing dissatisfaction with the current administration, offering hope for better governance and addressing issues such as insecurity, hunger, and economic hardship.
With political negotiations ongoing, observers say the Obi–Kwankwaso push underscores the increasing importance of cross-regional alliances in Nigeria’s opposition politics ahead of the 2027 elections.
