The proposed political alliance between Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, for a joint 2027 presidential ticket, has reportedly reached an advanced stage.
Findings by Sunday PUNCH reveal that both leaders have jointly set up a committee to actualise the alliance under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform.
A senior party source disclosed that the Obi–Kwankwaso pact was originally proposed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who not only endorsed Obi’s defection to the ADC but also advised him to work with Kwankwaso to clinch the party’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets.
Obasanjo famously backed Obi during the 2023 elections, openly campaigning for him nationwide against the APC candidate, now President Bola Tinubu. In a widely cited open letter dated January 1, 2023, Obasanjo described Obi as having an edge over other contenders in character, discipline, competence, and focus.
Kwankwaso, on his part, previously served as Minister of Defence under Obasanjo during his second term.
Meanwhile, the former president has made no secret of his disapproval of the presidential ambition of his ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
At present, Atiku, Obi, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi are listed as presidential aspirants within the ADC, while efforts are reportedly ongoing to formally bring Kwankwaso into the party.
Sources further revealed that before his defection, Obi pledged to serve a single term if elected president—after which Kwankwaso publicly indicated his readiness to serve as vice-presidential candidate, a move seen as key to sealing the alliance.
With 2027 calculations already intensifying, the emerging Obi–Kwankwaso ticket is shaping up as one of the most closely watched political developments in Nigeria.
Post a Comment