Plans by opposition leaders to field a single presidential candidate for the 2027 elections may have suffered a setback following the reported defection move by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Sources said both leaders are finalising arrangements to join the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).
Insiders within the coalition revealed that the planned exit was driven by concerns over the growing influence of Atiku Abubakar within the ADC, which is being considered as the coalition’s main platform.
Atiku is believed to be in a strong position to secure the party’s presidential ticket ahead of Obi and other contenders.
The development comes barely a week after opposition leaders agreed to present a united presidential candidate at a summit in Ibadan, Oyo State.
The agreement was part of the nine resolutions contained in the communique read by the opposition leaders at the end of the summit.
In the communiqué, titled, the “Ibadan Declaration,” the opposition said the move was necessary to “rescue the nation and suffering masses”.
The Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, disclosed that Obi and Kwankwaso would announce their new political platform soon.
He said the announcement could come as early as Monday.
Sources indicated that discussions with leaders of the NDC, including Seriake Dickson, have reached advanced stages.
A source said the move was to avoid a repeat of internal crises experienced within the ADC.
Sunday PUNCH gathered from sources close to the former governors that both leaders were concluding arrangements to join the NDC.
A source said, “Obi, Kwankwaso and their chieftains were on ground between yesterday (Friday) and this morning, signing relevant documents with Senator Dickson and the NDC leaders.
“We don’t want a repeat of what happened in the ADC. We discovered late that Atiku and his loyalists lured our leaders to that opposition party to fulfil only one single mission — Atiku’s presidential ambition.
“All is now set. Both Obi and Kwankwaso will announce their defection to the ADC on Monday.”
Galadima warned supporters to expect coordinated attacks following the announcement.
He said, “As from Monday, when our leaders declare on which platform they will run, I want to tell you that one of two things will happen. And I’m here to guide you on your response to what will happen.
“First, they will sponsor columnists. Two, they will deploy social media influencers to start attacking our candidates. For all of you who are on social media and those you with the mighty pen, you must be prepared to respond to anything they are going to say.
“Anything under the sun that they may say about our leaders that we know very well, people of integrity and honour, we must come to them with the ferociousness that is needed of an intelligent man.”
Also speaking at the event, Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, expressed support for the proposed Obi-Kwankwaso alliance, describing it as a viable alternative.
He said, “I am not a politician and don’t need to join your political party. But let me say that O-K (Obi-Kwankwaso) is okay for me. And I am ready to lead. In the last election in Lagos, I was the returning officer in Ibeju-Lekki. They came with so many things. But at the end of the day, the votes were so much that they couldn’t change the results.
“This time, I can tell you that we have already won in 28 out of 36 states. These 28 are already O-K. They are ready to vote. So it is up to them to say this time, you can’t steal our votes. And we have to be ready for that because it is easy to vote.”
Political analyst Adebayo Abubakar cautioned that divisions within the opposition could weaken its chances in 2027.
He noted that growing mistrust and personal ambitions among leaders may hinder efforts to present a united front.
“If you look at what is happening within the opposition camp, the first thing that becomes obvious is the problem of mutual suspicion and the unwillingness of key actors to subordinate their personal ambitions to the collective goal of unseating the ruling party.
“These movements you are talking about Obi, Kwankwaso and others considering different platforms only confirm that the opposition is still far from presenting a united front. Instead of consolidation, what we are seeing is further fragmentation, and that is dangerous for any opposition that is serious about taking power,” he told The PUNCH.
