The proposed alliance between the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for a joint 2027 presidential ticket has reached an advanced stage.

Findings revealed that both Obi and Kwankwaso have jointly set up a committee for the actualisation of the joint ticket under the African Democratic Congress.

A principal official of the ADC disclosed that the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance was originally proposed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

According to the party official, Obasanjo not only blessed Obi’s defection to the ADC, he also asked the former Anambra State governor to work with Kwankwaso to secure the presidential and vice-presidential tickets of the party.

Obasanjo openly campaigned for Obi in 2023 and mobilised support for him across the country against the All Progressives Congress candidate, now President Bola Tinubu.

The former president, in an open letter dated January 1, 2023, said, “None of the contestants is a saint, but when one compares their character, antecedents, understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality they can bring to bear, and the great effort required to stay focused on the job—particularly looking at where the country is today—and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi, as a mentee, has an edge.”

Kwankwaso, on the other hand, was appointed Minister of Defence by Obasanjo during his second term.

Meanwhile, the former president has not hidden his disapproval of the presidential ambition of his former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Currently, Atiku, Obi and a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, are the three presidential aspirants in the ADC, while efforts to get Kwankwaso to join the party are ongoing.

Before his defection to the ADC, Obi had promised to serve a single term if elected President, after which Kwankwaso declared that he was ready to serve as vice-presidential candidate.

Though Kwankwaso has yet to join the ADC, Sunday PUNCH gathered that the proposed alliance between him and Obi has begun and was initiated by Obasanjo.

A top ADC source told one of our correspondents that the former president had also been connecting Obi with some northern power brokers to ensure the alliance works out.

“We’re aware of the alliance, though Kwankwaso is not in our party yet. Former President Obasanjo is the one who connected the two of them (Obi and Kwankwaso), and he is committed to their alliance.

“The former president believes in Obi and has been speaking with some northern leaders on the need for them to see reason in the alliance,” said the party official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Similarly, one of the leaders of Kwankwasiyya Movement confirmed Obasanjo’s involvement in the proposed alliance, saying the former president initiated the idea.

“The former President is involved. In fact, he mooted the idea, and we are happy to be on track,” the source, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, said.

Obi, Kwankwaso set up alliance committee

It was gathered that a committee had been put in place by both Obi and Kwankwaso to galvanise support within the ADC for the proposed joint ticket.

A credible source in Obi’s camp disclosed that the committee was set up about a month ago with a mandate to strategise on how to achieve the joint ticket.

“We’re no longer at the talking stage; we have moved ahead. A committee has been set up for the alliance and things are taking shape,” the source said.

Confirming the move, the National Legal Adviser of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and a leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Magaji Ibrahim, SAN, said the former governor was ready to work with Obi either as President or Vice President.

Ibrahim, who said he was part of the committee, maintained that the proposed alliance had reached an advanced stage.

“There is ongoing discussion between Kwankwaso and Obi, and a committee is actually in place for the actualisation of the alliance. The committee is from both sides, and I am a member.

“We are ready to work together either for the first or second position. The central point is to salvage the nation,” he added.

Speaking on Kwankwaso’s move to join the ADC, Ibrahim said the party had reached out to the former Kano governor on the matter.

He disclosed that the ADC and the Kwankwasiyya Movement leaders had been holding discussions on the defection plan.

“We are discussing with them (ADC leaders) at the moment. There is a move to meet us, but we’re yet to meet,” he added.

Asked if Kwankwaso would join the ADC if not given the presidential or vice-presidential ticket, Ibrahim said, “I don’t think we can consider anything short of the second position.”

Efforts to reach the media aide to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or text messages sent to him.

However, a source in Obasanjo’s camp, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH, confirmed to our correspondent that the former president was working to ensure that the Obi–Kwankwaso alliance pulled through.

When asked to provide further details on the alleged alliance, the source declined to comment.

ADC not aware of Obi-Kwankwaso alliance

However, the ADC said it was not aware of any alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso, even as it described such discussions as not unusual.

The spokesperson of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, while speaking with Sunday PUNCH, said the party was willing to embrace Kwankwaso, describing him as a strong political leader.

“Kwankwaso is yet to join the ADC, but we are more than willing to have him with us. Obi is also a great politician and an asset to the party. However, whatever discussions they are having are outside the party,” he said.

Atiku not threatened by Obi, Kwankwaso alliance

Commenting on the proposed alliance, Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, said the former Vice President was not threatened by the move.

Ibe dismissed suggestions that the development posed any danger to Atiku’s political standing, insisting that the former Vice President remained focused on his own political path.

“There is absolutely no threat; there cannot be any threat. Kwankwaso is welcome in the ADC because the party’s hands are open to patriots who feel Nigeria is facing an existential threat and that there is a need to redeem the country. That cannot be a threat to Atiku.”

According to him, Atiku recognises the right of political actors to make their own choices and alliances without seeing them as competition.

“Everybody is at liberty to chart their political journey. Atiku is quietly on his own, doing what he has to do, and everyone is at liberty to do what they have to do.

“Atiku is not in any way threatened; he does not feel threatened and will not be threatened by the prospect of anybody. He desires a better Nigeria, and just like the party is opening its hands to welcome men and women who understand that we are at a point in history where we are facing an existential threat.

“For Atiku, the more the merrier, and that should be the focus of every discussion in the party,” Ibe said.

Obidients welcome Obi, Kwankwaso alliance

However, the Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, a group of Obi’s loyalists, Yinusa Tanko, expressed openness to the alliance move.

He described it as a potentially strong partnership ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Tanko also disclosed that the alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso had been discussed for some time and could become a major political force if properly harnessed.

“There have been a lot of talks before now. A good working relationship between the Obidient Movement and the Kwankwasiyya Movement will be a very strong combination,” he said.

Obi’s camp pushes for zoning

Meanwhile, supporters of former Anambra State governor are intensifying calls for the party’s presidential ticket to be zoned to the South.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, an ADC chieftain and supporter of Obi, who requested anonymity for fear of victimisation, said zoning the ticket to the South was the easiest and most reliable path to defeating President Tinubu.

According to the source, Obi enjoys widespread support across the country, noting that zoning the ticket to the South would further strengthen the coalition.

He said, “The leaders of the party are beginning to realise that if you want to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is from the South, zoning the ticket to the South will allow southern presidential aspirants within the fold of the ADC to contest, and one of them will emerge. When that happens, it will be quite easy; in fact, it is going to be the surest way to defeat Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. Anything short of that will be to the disadvantage of the coalition group.

“What we are advocating is that the ticket should be zoned to the South, but we are not going to fight anybody about this. We are going to consult widely and, of course, try as much as possible to make every member or stakeholder in this movement understand why it should go to the South. We have credible people.”

But leaders of the party, including, the Chairman of the ADC Chairmen’s Forum and Kogi State Chairman, Kingsley Ogga; the Forum’s Secretary and Edo State Chairman, Kennedy Odion; and the Adamawa State Chairman, Arabi Mustapha, in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH, warned that any aspirant pushing for zoning to the South was deliberately working to undermine the coalition in favour of Tinubu.

Ogga advised Obi’s supporters to put the party’s interest ahead of their personal interest, insisting that anyone pushing for zoning does not mean well for the party.

On his part, the Adamawa State Chairman remarked that anyone pushing for a specific zone or aspirant is thinking short-sightedly.

He stated, “My response to them is simple: their thinking is myopic. Let them think far. Nigeria has two regions, the Northand the South. So, putting a particular interest on someone, for example, a man from the South agitating for Peter Obi, or a man from the North saying Atiku Abubakar, is not what Nigeria really needs now.

“Nigeria needs someone who will stand on his feet to rescue the nation from where it is. Currently, we don’t have what we call government; we only have people in dictatorial positions of leadership.” (Text: Sunday PUNCH, but headline reworked)

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