Eshioromeh Sebastian in Abuja
Former Kano State governor and leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is actively negotiating to join former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi under the umbrella of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The talks, confirmed by political sources to SPEAR NEWS, are unfolding against a backdrop of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including Kwankwaso’s own political protégé, Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf, and Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang.
This move is seen as a strategic counter-effort to forge a united front capable of challenging the APC’s growing dominance.
Kwankwaso’s potential shift to the ADC follows the recent high-profile defection of Peter Obi and a bloc of his supporters from the Labour Party to the ADC on Wednesday. Atiku Abubakar had earlier also declared for the ADC, setting the stage for what could become a grand coalition of the major opposition figures who came second, third, and fourth in the 2023 presidential election.
Behind the scenes, quiet but intense negotiations are underway. Kwankwaso, whose Kwankwasiyya movement is at a crossroads following Governor Yusuf’s planned defection to the APC on Monday, is evaluating the ADC as a viable new base.
Spear News reports that these negotiations are merely the surface of a far more ambitious and confidential political realignment. Sources privy to the highest levels of the three major camps and the ADC detail a tripartite pact designed not just to contest 2027, but to choreograph a full decade of power through a methodical transfer of leadership.
The reported blueprint, described by three independent sources, follows a deliberate sequence:
- 2027: Peter Obi runs for president on the ADC ticket with Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate. Atiku Abubakar, who sources confirm will not be on the ballot, assumes the role of principal kingmaker, tasked with deploying his formidable northern political machinery to deliver its vote bank.
- 2031: This is the linchpin. Peter Obi serves a single four-year term. Upon its conclusion, the entire political architecture—the ADC platform, the merged party structures, the coalition itself—is contractually transferred to Atiku Abubakar, who becomes the presidential flagbearer.
A senior strategist within Peter Obi’s inner circle, who requested anonymity, confirmed the seriousness of the talks. “The logic is straightforward: to fix the country, you first have to unite the opposition. That means everyone has to compromise on timing,” the source said, describing the negotiations as “transactional, but everyone is wrapping it in the language of national rescue.”
The goal is to bring a significant portion of his northern political structure into the coalition party. If successful, this alliance would merge substantial voter bases from the North and the South, creating a historically powerful opposition bloc.
The ADC is enthusiastically driving the talks. A chieftain of the party, Dr. Ladan Salihu, appearing on ARISE NEWS, described Peter Obi’s entry as a “political blockbuster” and “one step to the Presidential Villa.”
He argued that the combined vote share of Atiku and Obi from 2023 represents about 63 percent of the total presidential votes, a calculus that would be massively boosted by Kwankwaso’s addition.
However, the political landscape is shifting rapidly in favour of the ruling party. In a major consolidation of power, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang formally defected to the APC at a ceremony in Jos on Saturday.
He was joined by his deputy, state executive council members, and local government chairmen. Mutfwang framed his move as necessary to unify Plateau State and strengthen its voice within the national government, pledging full support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and predicting the delivery of one million votes from the state in 2027.
This defection was met with sharp criticism from the Plateau State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which labelled it a “betrayal of public mandate” and vowed to challenge it.
Meanwhile, the national PDP, while preoccupied with internal legal battles over its leadership, has not ruled out an alliance. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, stated that while the immediate focus is on rebuilding, “the opposition must agree to work together to defeat the ruling party,” leaving the door open for future collaborative arrangements.
The potential coalition faces internal challenges. Questions about presidential candidacy, zoning, and the integration of diverse political structures remain unresolved. Dr. Salihu of the ADC emphasized that internal democracy must prevail, stating, “You join as a member, you harvest your votes, eventually the delegates will decide,” pushing back against the idea of any bloc imposing conditionalities on the party.
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