Kwankwaso Rejects ADC Alliance, Vows NDC Will Contest 2027 Election

Peter Obi's running mate on the Nigerian Democratic Congress ticket, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has firmly dismissed calls to exit the 2027 presidential race and back the African Democratic Congress instead. The former Kano State governor made clear that his NDC ticket intends to stay in the contest, arguing that voters deserve an alternative different from what either the ruling All Progressives Congress or the ADC can deliver.

This rejection widens divisions among opposition factions at a moment when initiatives to consolidate around one opposition candidate are gaining ground. Backing former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the ADC-led camp has levelled accusations that Kwankwaso harbors hidden links with the APC and that his continuous assaults on their candidate deflect attention from government accountability on matters of economic hardship and insecurity.

The ADC Presidential Campaign Council suggested that Kwankwaso's focus on attacking Atiku rather than President Bola Tinubu points toward an unspoken political deal. In response, Kwankwaso attacked the ADC campaign team for deploying resources to assail him alongside Obi instead of selling Atiku's case to Nigerians.

He rejected allegations of covert arrangements with the ruling party as deceptive moves meant to mislead voters. Expressing faith in the NDC's electoral prospects, he declared that claims about the NDC withdrawing are without merit.

The ADC campaign characterized Kwankwaso's remarks as evasive and reasserted that his statement raises renewed concerns regarding his ties to the APC alongside President Tinubu, calling on him to concentrate instead on scrutinizing the government's handling of national challenges. The confrontation emerged roughly two days following statements by opposition coalition figures, notably G100 convener Mallam Salihu Lukman, who had signalled confidence in reaching consensus on a unified opposition candidate before the 2027 general election.