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Anti-Tinubu Alliance Fractures As Kwankwaso Rejects Atiku, Says ADC Offers Nigerians No Better Alternative
Anti-Tinubu Alliance Fractures As Kwankwaso Rejects Atiku, Says ADC Offers Nigerians No Better Alternative
NDC vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, rules out any withdrawal of the Peter Obi-Kwankwaso ticket for ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, insisting the party will contest the 2027 election to the finish.
Kwankwaso accuses the ADC Presidential Campaign Council of attacking Obi and the NDC and promoting claims that the ticket is working for President Bola Tinubu’s APC or could step down for Atiku.
The former Kano State governor says the APC administration has failed Nigerians but dismisses Atiku’s ADC as offering “no better alternative,” sharpening the disagreement between the two opposition camps.
The dispute follows exchanges over opposition cooperation ahead of 2027, with Kwankwaso insisting that the NDC has the competence, credibility and national support to seek the presidency independently.
October 19, () – The push for a broad opposition front against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election has suffered a fresh setback after Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ruled out any possibility of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) withdrawing its presidential ticket for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Kwankwaso, running mate to the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also rejected the ADC’s claim to being a credible alternative to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that while the Tinubu administration had failed Nigerians, Atiku’s party offered “no better alternative.”
The former Kano State governor spoke in a statement on Sunday against the backdrop of growing exchanges between the NDC and the ADC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) over opposition cooperation and suggestions that the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket could eventually withdraw from the race.
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Kwankwaso, who dismissed the suggestion outright, said, “We will not withdraw our candidature for the ADC or any other party. The OK ticket is neither working for nor acting on behalf of the APC or any of its candidates. We see no possibility or reason to withdraw from the presidential race in favour of the ADC candidate or any other.”
Kwankwaso Fires Back At ADC
Channel
reports that the dispute stems from accusations by the ADC camp that Kwankwaso’s political interventions against Atiku could ultimately benefit the APC.
In his response, Kwankwaso rejected the accusation, saying the ADC campaign had increasingly directed its attention at him, Obi and the NDC rather than making a case for its own presidential candidate.
“I have noted with deep concern the conduct of the ADC campaign team. The attacks directed at me, our presidential candidate, His Excellency Peter Obi, and our party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, are unnecessary and unhelpful”, he said.
According to him, attempts to associate the NDC presidential ticket with the APC were intended to cast doubt on the party’s commitment to the presidential contest.
He warned supporters against claims that Obi could withdraw for Atiku as the election approaches, insisting that no such arrangement exists.
“We remain confident in our capacity, competence and readiness to lead Nigeria”, he declared.
Kwankwaso also challenged the ADC Presidential Campaign Council to concentrate on defending Atiku against allegations made by Vice-President Kashim Shettima rather than attacking a fellow opposition ticket.
“The ADC-PCC would be better served directing its energy toward rebutting the serious allegations levelled against their candidate by the Vice President, His Excellency Kashim Shettima, instead of targeting me and His Excellency Peter Obi”, he added.
‘ADC Offers No Better Alternative’
Kwankwaso further broadened his criticism beyond the campaign exchanges, questioning the ADC’s claim that it represents a better choice than the ruling party.
“The APC-led government has failed Nigerians. The ADC offers no better alternative”, he declared.
The former Kano governor said the NDC was presenting a different choice through Obi and himself, citing their records in public office and what he described as support cutting across the North and South.
According to him, the ticket has the capacity to address insecurity, revive education and agriculture, improve infrastructure and healthcare and tackle the country’s economic difficulties.
“We believe the OK ticket presents a credible and viable option, backed by proven capacity, a strong track record, credibility, and broad support across both Northern and Southern Nigeria”, he said, adding that the ticket was committed to national unity and addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians.
Old Rivals, New Platforms
The disagreement comes amid persistent calls for opposition parties to avoid a repeat of the fragmentation witnessed in the 2023 presidential election.
In that election, Tinubu defeated Atiku and Obi, who contested on separate platforms. According to results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Tinubu polled 8,794,726 votes, against Atiku’s 6,984,520 and Obi’s 6,101,533.
Tinubu’s victory with about 36.6 percent of the valid votes subsequently fuelled debate within opposition circles over whether a consolidated challenge could have produced a different outcome.
Four years later, the leading actors are again preparing for another presidential contest, although on a significantly altered political landscape.
Tinubu is seeking another term on the APC platform, while Atiku, the PDP presidential candidate in 2023, is now carrying the ADC flag. Obi, who contested the last election on the Labour Party platform, is now the NDC presidential candidate, with Kwankwaso as his running mate.
The emergence of the two separate opposition tickets has kept alive questions over whether the NDC and ADC could reach an accommodation before the election.
But the increasingly sharp exchanges between their campaigns have so far pointed in the opposite direction.
Kwankwaso maintained that the NDC was in the presidential race on its own strength and would continue campaigning for victory. He described the party as the country’s most formidable opposition platform and urged its members not to be distracted by claims of an impending withdrawal.
“I, therefore, urge all our supporters and well-meaning Nigerians to continue working toward the victory of our great party”, he concluded.
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