ADC Rejects Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket for 2027

ADC Official Backs Atiku–Obi Ticket, Cites 2023 Vote Math Ahead of 2027

Fresh debate has emerged within the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over possible opposition alliances for the 2027 presidential election, as a senior party official argues that only a joint ticket involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi can realistically challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Fabiyi Oladimeji, Deputy National Financial Secretary of the David Mark-led National Working Committee, made the position known while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, dismissing the viability of a potential Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso pairing.

According to him, voting patterns from the 2023 presidential election suggest that an Obi–Kwankwaso ticket would struggle to attract the breadth of support required to defeat President Bola Tinubu.

“The numbers are clear. The strongest combination remains Atiku and Obi,” Oladimeji said.

In the 2023 election, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) collectively secured significantly more votes than the APC candidate, although they ran on separate platforms. Oladimeji argued that a unified ticket could consolidate that support base.

He further revealed that Atiku has indicated a willingness to support any consensus candidate that emerges from a broader opposition arrangement. Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has also reportedly expressed a similar stance, raising expectations of intensified coalition talks in the coming months.

Oladimeji called on Peter Obi to demonstrate similar flexibility, stressing that the 2027 race should be driven by strategic collaboration rather than individual ambition.

The comments come at a time when opposition parties are reassessing their strategies following the fragmented outcome of the 2023 polls, where vote splitting played a decisive role in the final result.

Political analysts say any serious attempt to unseat the APC in 2027 would likely depend on the ability of opposition leaders to form a united front, particularly in regions where support remains divided.

With early permutations already underway, positions such as Oladimeji’s highlight the growing pressure on key political figures to negotiate alliances that could reshape Nigeria’s electoral landscape ahead of the next general election.