2027 Calculations: Kwankwaso weighs alliance with Atiku, Obi on ADC platform

As preparations for the 2027 general elections slowly gather pace, former Kano State Governor and leader of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, is reportedly considering a major political realignment that could redraw Nigeria’s opposition landscape.

THISDAY gathered that Kwankwaso is weighing the option of teaming up with former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and the Labour Party’s 2023 flagbearer and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The development comes amid strong indications that Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, alongside most members of the Kano State House of Assembly, is set to defect from the NNPP to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that has reportedly deepened internal rifts within the Kwankwasiyya political movement.

While Kwankwaso’s political structure in Kano appears to be drifting towards the APC, sources disclosed that the former governor has opened quiet talks with the ADC on the possibility of joining the party, alongside loyal members of the Kwankwasiyya movement.

According to insiders, behind-the-scenes negotiations are already underway as key opposition figures explore the formation of a broad coalition ahead of 2027. The talks have gathered urgency following reports that Governor Yusuf, the NNPP’s only sitting governor nationwide, is expected to formally defect to the APC on Monday.

Kwankwaso is said to be strongly opposed to Yusuf’s planned defection, a disagreement that has triggered sharp divisions within the Kwankwasiyya fold. Sources close to the Kano governor revealed that Vice President Kashim Shettima, APC National Chairman, Yitwalda Nentawe, former Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, and the state APC chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, are expected to attend a brief defection ceremony in Abuja.

Political observers believe that a successful alliance between Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso could significantly alter the opposition’s fortunes and reshape Nigeria’s political arithmetic ahead of the 2027 polls. The trio finished second, third and fourth respectively in the 2023 presidential election.

Despite the APC’s confidence, buoyed by its control of 28 states, opposition figures are quietly regrouping, banking on growing public discontent to challenge the ruling party’s dominance.

Peter Obi had on Wednesday formally joined the ADC alongside his supporters, opposition leaders, and some members of the National Assembly and state legislatures. His defection placed him among a growing list of political heavyweights rallying around the ADC, including Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, Aminu Tambuwal, Emeka Ihedioha, Rauf Aregbesola, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Abubakar Malami and others, all positioning for the 2027 contest.

A chieftain of the ADC, Dr. Ladan Salihu, said Obi’s entry into the party had transformed the opposition terrain, describing the ADC as an emerging formidable alternative to the APC.

Meanwhile, the ruling party further consolidated its grip on power as Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, formally defected to the APC, adding to the party’s swelling ranks.

Reacting to the shifting alliances, the PDP said its immediate focus remained on resolving internal legal issues surrounding its leadership but stressed that opposition parties must unite to effectively challenge the APC in 2027.

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