The battle to unite Nigeria’s opposition behind a single presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in 2027 suffered a major setback yesterday as Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso declared that Peter Obi would not step down for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), also dismissed allegations that he and Obi were working towards a last-minute withdrawal from the race to pave the way for an alliance with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The former Kano State governor described the claims as unfounded, accusing the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council of engaging in unnecessary attacks against him, Obi and the NDC.
“Let me state clearly and unequivocally: we will not withdraw our candidature for the ADC or any other party,” Kwankwaso declared in a post on his X handle.
He insisted that the NDC presidential ticket remained committed to the race, expressing confidence in its capacity and readiness to lead the country.
“The OK ticket is neither working for nor acting on behalf of the APC or any of its candidates,” he added.
Kwankwaso further ruled out any possibility of withdrawing in favour of Atiku or another opposition candidate, describing suggestions to that effect as political blackmail.
The development has dealt another blow to ongoing efforts to forge a united opposition front capable of mounting a strong challenge to Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
ATIKU, OBI FACE OFF AGAIN
The disagreement has exposed widening cracks among opposition leaders who had been exploring ways to avoid splitting their votes in the next presidential contest.
Atiku and Obi were running mates on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 presidential election before their political paths diverged.
While Atiku retained the PDP presidential ticket in 2023, Obi defected to the Labour Party (LP) and emerged as a major challenger to the former vice-president and Tinubu.
Both candidates eventually lost to Tinubu, who contested on the platform of the APC.
Ahead of the 2027 election, however, renewed efforts were made to bring the two opposition figures together in a broader coalition against the incumbent president.
Atiku subsequently left the PDP for the ADC, with Obi and his supporters also moving to the party before the former Anambra State governor later defected to the NDC.
Obi eventually teamed up with Kwankwaso on the NDC ticket, with the former Labour Party presidential candidate as the presidential flagbearer and Kwankwaso as his running mate.
The development complicated the coalition negotiations, as both Obi and Atiku remained potential presidential contenders, with neither side willing to concede the ticket to the other.
G-100 COALITION UNDER PRESSURE
One of the latest initiatives to unite the opposition has been spearheaded by the G-100, a group convened by former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman.
Lukman had disclosed in recent interviews that discussions had expanded beyond the ADC and NDC to include four other political parties.
The group hopes to build a broad alliance ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, with the ultimate goal of rallying opposition parties behind a common candidate.
“The G-100 would come out and tell Nigerians this is the direction, and everybody will queue,” Lukman said, expressing optimism that more political parties would join the initiative.
However, the latest exchange between the ADC and NDC suggests that reaching an agreement may prove more difficult than anticipated.
With Atiku and Obi both maintaining their presidential ambitions, the coalition faces the challenge of persuading one of the leading contenders to make way for the other without triggering further defections or deepening divisions.
KWANKWASO FIRES BACK AT ADC
In his statement, Kwankwaso accused the ADC Presidential Campaign Council of attempting to mislead NDC supporters with claims that Obi would eventually withdraw from the race in Atiku’s favour.
He said the NDC would rather present its candidates’ competence, credibility, capacity and records of achievement to Nigerians than engage in attacks against political opponents.
The former governor also challenged the ADC campaign team to respond to allegations reportedly levelled against Atiku by Vice-President Kashim Shettima instead of concentrating its criticism on the NDC leadership.
Kwankwaso criticised both the APC-led government and the ADC, arguing that neither had presented the kind of alternative Nigerians needed.
He portrayed the NDC ticket as a credible option with support across Northern and Southern Nigeria, promising to tackle insecurity, education, agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and economic challenges.
He also urged Nigerians to support the NDC, describing the party as a formidable opposition platform.
ADC ACCUSES KWANKWASO OF PLAYING APC’S GAME
The ADC, however, has rejected Kwankwaso’s defence, accusing him of repeatedly attacking Atiku instead of directing his criticism at Tinubu’s administration.
The party’s Presidential Campaign Council Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described Kwankwaso’s response as diversionary, questioning why the NDC vice-presidential candidate had made the ADC flagbearer a target.
“Why is Senator Kwankwaso making our candidate the issue instead of confronting the ruling APC?” Ologbondiyan asked.
He argued that opposition leaders should concentrate on holding the ruling party accountable for the country’s challenges rather than engaging in public disputes among themselves.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the ADC cannot and will not be distracted by Senator Kwankwaso,” he added.
Ologbondiyan further alleged that Kwankwaso was attacking the ADC in an attempt to curry favour with the APC, an accusation the NDC vice-presidential candidate has denied through his insistence that his ticket is not working for the ruling party.
The ADC spokesman maintained that his party would remain focused on mobilising Nigerians around its promise to provide an alternative to the Tinubu administration.
With the two opposition camps trading accusations and refusing to back down, the prospect of presenting a single candidate against Tinubu remains uncertain, raising fresh questions about whether the opposition can resolve its differences before the 2027 election.
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