Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is reportedly backing a proposed 2027 presidential alliance between Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso as efforts intensify to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next general election.
According to findings, Obi and Kwankwaso have already established a joint committee to drive the proposed alliance under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with discussions said to be at an advanced stage.
Sources within the ADC and the Kwankwasiyya Movement revealed that Obasanjo initiated and strongly supports the alliance, encouraging Obi to work closely with Kwankwaso in securing the party’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets.
Obasanjo, who openly endorsed Obi during the 2023 presidential election, is also said to be engaging northern political stakeholders to rally support for the partnership. The former president has long expressed reservations about the presidential ambition of his former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.
While Atiku, Obi and Rotimi Amaechi are currently among leading presidential hopefuls in the ADC, efforts are ongoing to formally bring Kwankwaso into the party.
Sources close to the talks disclosed that the Obi-Kwankwaso committee was set up about a month ago to strategise on consolidating support within the coalition. A member of the committee and National Legal Adviser of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Magaji Ibrahim (SAN), confirmed that both camps were prepared to work together “either for the first or second position” in the interest of national rescue.
The ADC leadership, however, stated that it was not officially aware of any formal alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso, although party spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi described both politicians as valuable assets to the coalition.
Reacting to the development, Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, dismissed suggestions that the alliance posed any political threat to the former Vice President, insisting that Atiku remained focused on his own political direction.
Meanwhile, the Obidient Movement welcomed the emerging partnership, describing a collaboration between the Obidient and Kwankwasiyya movements as a potentially formidable force ahead of the 2027 elections.
The alliance discussions have also reignited debates within the ADC over zoning the party’s presidential ticket to the South. Obi’s supporters argue that presenting a southern candidate offers the strongest chance of defeating Tinubu, while some northern party leaders warn that zoning could divide the coalition and weaken its chances in 2027.
