Former governors Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso have stepped up efforts to forge a joint presidential ticket under the African Democratic Congress, pitching a one-term power rotation deal to northern leaders in a bid to reshape the party’s 2027 contest.
Party insiders say the emerging alliance is designed to consolidate northern backing for a southern presidency, with Obi projected to serve a single term if the arrangement holds. The proposal is also seen as a direct challenge to the influence of former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, long regarded as a dominant figure in northern political calculations.
The renewed consultations come as the ADC grapples with an internal leadership dispute and awaits a supreme court ruling, even as aspirants intensify mobilisation across the country. Sources familiar with the talks said Kwankwaso’s camp has, in recent weeks, engaged traditional rulers and political stakeholders in the north, many of whom are said to be disenchanted with the prospect of another term for President Bola Tinubu.
At the heart of the lobbying effort is an appeal to what supporters describe as “fairness” in Nigeria’s unwritten zoning arrangement. Advocates argue that the south should complete an eight-year presidential cycle, warning that a renewed northern bid through Atiku could complicate the region’s longer-term prospects.
The joint ticket campaign predates Kwankwaso’s formal entry into the ADC on 30 March, and gained further momentum on 20 April with the launch of the Obi–Kwankwaso Movement, a political vehicle intended to drive the alliance ahead of party primaries.
An ADC official familiar with the negotiations said a committee set up by both camps is working to formalise Obi’s one-term pledge, amid concerns among northern stakeholders about the enforceability of such an agreement. “We want them to see this is not politics as usual,” the source said, suggesting that trust remains a critical hurdle.
But the manoeuvres have not gone unchallenged. Allies of Atiku acknowledge the outreach but dismiss it as routine pre-primary bargaining. One supporter, a former lawmaker from Kwara state, described the effort as a “political gimmick”, arguing that Atiku retains deep-rooted backing across the north and within the ADC’s existing structure.
He suggested that Kwankwaso’s longer-term ambition may hinge on a post-Obi succession in 2031, should the one-term pact materialise — a claim that underscores the strategic calculations shaping the race.
Within the party, tensions appear to be mounting. A senior ADC figure, speaking anonymously, described “a growing storm” as southern aspirants court northern heavyweights, including former governors, in an attempt to assemble a delegate coalition strong enough to challenge Atiku’s dominance.
Other contenders, including former transport minister Rotimi Amaechi, are also said to be consulting widely, seeking to fracture Atiku’s delegate base and force a more competitive primary.
Yet scepticism persists over whether the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance can upend the party’s internal arithmetic. Mark Adebayo, spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, argued that Atiku remains firmly entrenched. He also questioned the strategic wisdom of Obi’s alignment within the ADC, suggesting it may ultimately fall short of its intended impact.
For its part, the party leadership has sought to strike a conciliatory tone. National publicity secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said consultations were a normal feature of party politics, adding that the ADC would aim to produce its candidate through consensus — though he conceded that competing ambitions could yet force a direct primary.
With weeks of negotiations ahead, the battle lines within the ADC are becoming clearer. Whether the promise of a one-term presidency can redraw alliances — or merely deepen existing fractures — may determine the party’s trajectory as Nigeria edges towards another high-stakes election cycle.
