Kwankwaso Hints On Atiku Alliance — Despite Differences That Forced His Exit From The ADC Alongside Peter Obi
Former presidential candidate and ex-Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has declared his readiness to support Peter Obi or any other presidential candidate produced by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the party’s decision would be supreme, while confirming that the NDC has already agreed to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to Southern Nigeria for a single four-year term.
Kwankwaso, who recently aligned with the opposition coalition in the NDC alongside former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi after their joint exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on May 3, made the wide-ranging declarations during an appearance on the Arise TV PrimeTime programme on Monday, where he also hinted at a possible future alliance with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, criticised the country’s governors for relying on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for political survival, and argued that the 2027 election would be largely driven by young Nigerians seeking a new direction for the country.
In a definitive statement on his readiness to play second fiddle to a Southern candidate, the former Kano State Governor made it clear that the party’s decision would be supreme.
“If the party decides that I will be anybody’s running mate from the South, I am ready,” he affirmed.
Kwankwaso confirmed that the decision to zone the 2027 presidency to the South was reached after consultations with party leaders and stakeholders across the country.
“Right from day one, we sat down together and we looked at the situation on the ground in the country and we decided to take a major decision, including zoning the presidency to the South for four years and after that, the Presidency will return to the North,” he added.
He added that many northern politicians who joined the party accepted the arrangement because they believed it was the best way to address long-standing political tensions over power rotation.
“We believe that the best place to take it is to the South so that we can eliminate the confusion that emanated from the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. What is key now is not the Presidency from the North or South, but rather to have quality leadership, people who are enthusiastic, determined and committed to give the country the leadership it deserves,” he said.
Kwankwaso revealed that he and Peter Obi had already held discussions on tackling insecurity, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
“Peter Obi and I have discussed a lot of ways we can tackle insecurity. I have worked together with people across board and I am sure of my capacity,” he said.
The former Kano Governor also hinted at a possible future alliance with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar despite their political differences.
“We might still work together before election days. We had to leave because of issues that are very detrimental. So, we are not fighting anybody,” he stated.
Responding to concerns that his move to the NDC alongside Peter Obi had effectively divided the opposition into two competing blocs ahead of the polls, Kwankwaso dismissed suggestions that his exit from the African Democratic Congress had created a damaging split in the opposition.
“Now, we may still work together before the election. I personally, and I think even Obi himself, decided to leave ADC not because we are fighting with Atiku or anybody there. We decided to leave that party because we realised that there are some issues,” he said.
He said the ADC was contending with three major unresolved problems that he believed would make it difficult for the party to field candidates, without specifying what those issues were.
“Whether they will be able to field candidates in that party or not is just a matter of time. It’s not like we had a primary election,” he said.
The remarks came after Atiku recently claimed on Arise TV that Kwankwaso’s popularity was confined to Kano State and further divided there by Governor Abba Yusuf.
Atiku, who is seeking the presidency on the ADC platform, also described himself as the most popular politician of northern extraction, saying none of his contemporaries, including Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal and Nasir El-Rufai, commanded a voter base across the North as wide as his.
Kwankwaso did not engage the slight directly, but made clear he bore no grudge.