A joint presidential ticket comprising former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso is reportedly being considered in advance of the 2027 general elections. The two are anticipated to run against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the coalition-led African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket amid fresh attempts to bring the opposition together.
Prior to the 2023 election, Obi and Kwankwaso, the presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), respectively, had made an effort to unite. However, conflicts over the nominee and running mate caused the negotiations to break down.
The renewed push for a joint ticket comes against the backdrop of the 2023 election, which saw both men post strong but regionally concentrated performances.
Obi garnered more than six million votes countrywide, winning in Lagos, the Federal Capital Territory, and the South-East states. He also organised an unprecedented youth-led campaign throughout metropolitan areas to finish third.
Kwankwaso, on his part, delivered a decisive victory in Kano State, reaffirming his control of one of Nigeria’s largest voting blocs through his Kwankwasiyya political movement to come fourth.
Information gathered by Daily Trust gathered over the weekend revealed fresh efforts to reconcile both camps are being spearheaded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who is said to be convinced that a united Obi-Kwankwaso ticket offers the opposition a better chance of mounting a credible challenge to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
According to several people with knowledge of the discussions, Obasanjo was able to tentatively convince Kwankwaso to agree to serve as Obi’s running partner.
While Kwankwaso, who is still a member of the NNPP, assured his supporters over the weekend that he was in talks with political leaders and would soon reveal his future course of action, Obi formally joined the ADC penultimate week and had previously stated his ambition to be on the ballot in 2027.
Kwankwaso had also, through one of his close aides, confirmed to Daily Trust that “high-level discussions with key stakeholders across the political spectrum” were ongoing.
“While our party has not yet finalised its position or reached a full consensus on our path forward, we can confirm that we are engaged in high-level discussions with key stakeholders across the political spectrum, including political parties and individuals.
“Our position will very soon be known to the public. We firmly believe that Nigeria urgently requires a departure from the current environment characterised by rampant insecurity and the widespread collapse of essential systems.
“We kindly urge the public to remain patient and to continue supporting our movement as we work tirelessly towards building a better Nigeria for all citizens,” the aide said.
According to sources, the first line of action is allegedly to get the ADC presidential ticket by confronting Atiku directly at the party’s primaries.
“Kwankwaso went to Abeokuta to meet Baba Obasanjo last week and Baba told him to join the ADC and accept to be Obi’s vice. This is similar to what General Ibrahim Babangida told him weeks earlier, although IBB did not go as far as discussing the vice-presidential slot. He only advised him to join the ADC,” one of the sources said.
“The thinking is that the political momentum and current dynamics, both local and international, favour an Obi presidency. Baba Obasanjo is a key promoter of Obi’s ambition. Even Atiku has acknowledged in the past that it was Baba who recommended Obi to him as vice-presidential candidate in 2019.
“The goal is to get Obi and Kwankwaso to work together in order to challenge Atiku for the ADC ticket. They know Atiku will not back down easily, and that the internal dynamics of party politics favour him. There is hardly a chance that either Obi or Kwankwaso, acting alone, can defeat Atiku at the primaries. But with both of them pulling their weight together, they believe they may stand a chance,” the source added.
“They have decided that if they fail to secure the ADC ticket, knowing how formidable Atiku is within the party, they will move to another political party to actualise the joint ticket,” another source said.
At the time report, attempts to obtain a response from the Atiku Media Office had failed. Paul Ibe and Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s media advisors, did not return calls.
Similar attempts to get a response from Yunusa Tanko, the national coordinator of the Obidient’s Movement, who frequently speaks for Obi, had failed.
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