They were supposed to be the ticket that finally united the opposition. A former governor of Kano with a massive northern following. A former governor of Anambra who swept the Southeast in 2023. Together, they would bridge the regional divide and challenge the ruling APC.
But the North is not speaking with one voice.
The political realignment involving former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has continued to generate debate across Northern Nigeria, as questions grow over how voters in the region will respond to their reported movement into the Nigerian Democratic Congress.
While party leaders describe the development as a step toward building a united opposition platform, reactions in the North remain uncertain. Analysts and residents are divided on whether the alliance will strengthen or weaken its appeal in the region.
The New Platform
On Sunday, both Obi and Kwankwaso formally joined the NDC in Abuja. At the party’s national secretariat, NDC national chairman Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe presented membership cards to both politicians as they officially aligned with the opposition platform.
Speaking at the event, Kwankwaso said their decision followed wide consultations with NDC stakeholders, noting that they discovered strong ideological alignment. “We came to discuss with the NDC stakeholders about the party and its ideology, and we realised that our beliefs are similar,” he said.
Obi added that the party was focused on rebuilding Nigeria and restoring confidence in governance. “This party would form a government that will rebuild Nigeria and ensure Nigerians live without fear,” Obi said. He also urged party members to avoid internal disputes and litigation, stressing unity within the new platform. “Let there be no litigation. Party members, please don’t go to court. We are not lawyers. We don’t want to spend our time on litigation,” he added.
The move came after both political leaders defected from the ADC, citing internal crises as their reason for leaving.
Why They Left the ADC
The Kwankwasiyya movement has said the NDC is considered a safer political platform ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing internal crises and legal battles within the ADC.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, the movement’s spokesperson, Habeeb Saleh Mohammed, said the decision was necessary to avoid political and legal uncertainties that could affect their chances in the next election. “Well, I think first to be clear is that there are pending issues in ADC,” he said. “And remember, we left our political party, NNPP, simply because of that external pressure and the internal issues we have.”
Mohammed explained that the same problems that affected their former party are now troubling the ADC, making it difficult for the party to function effectively. “This is a party that has multiple court cases. Even when there was an opportunity to clear all the issues at once, the case was referred back to the lower court, and it may still go to the Appeal Court and even the Supreme Court.”
According to him, the timeframe before the elections makes it risky to remain in a party entangled in legal disputes. “Looking at the timeframe, I don’t think ADC will effectively be able to manage that particular case,” he added. He further revealed that the ADC is also facing other legal threats, including a case seeking its deregistration. “Outside this one, we have another case where the party itself is being asked to be deleted by INEC. We also have another case questioning the legitimacy of the leadership.”
Because of these uncertainties, Mohammed said the movement is searching for a more stable political platform. “For anybody who wants to offer Nigerians an opportunity to have a platform and an alternative political party, there is a need to look for a safer platform, one that does not have internal crisis or legal issues,” he said.
The Northern Divide
Daily Post gathered mixed reactions from residents in exclusive interviews. While some believe the defection of Kwankwaso and Obi is a positive move that could challenge the APC, others hold a different view.
A Kano resident, Lukman Shuaibu, expressed support for Kwankwaso, saying his style of politics continues to favour ordinary people at the grassroots. Shuaibu said he would remain loyal to the political leader regardless of which party or who he chooses to run with. “I will continue to follow him wherever he goes — from NNPP to ADC and now NDC. He has the interest of the people, especially those at the grassroots, at heart,” he said.
Another Kano resident, Naziru Dalhatu, said a possible joint presidential ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso would not be about regional interests, but about the unity of Nigeria as a whole. He explained that the idea of the so-called “OK ticket” would represent all parts of the country and not just the North. “The Obi and Kwankwaso ticket is not about bringing the North alone. It is about representing every part of the country,” he said.
Dalhatu argued that, given the current economic and political situation in Nigeria, almost any strong and credible political alliance could defeat the ruling government. “In the present condition of the country, even a ticket made up of people who are not as strong as Obi and Kwankwaso could still defeat the current government because of its failure in many sectors,” he said. “Nigerians are going through very difficult times. Everything has become worse, and people are only interested in removing the current government.”
He also claimed that the NDC is rapidly gaining popularity across the country. “I read in a report that in less than three days, over ten million people registered in the NDC. At the moment, there is no political party as popular as the NDC, where people are rushing to join.”
The Skeptics
But not everyone is convinced.
A northern youth in Jigawa, Muhammad Rabiu Musa, questioned the credibility of the emerging alliance. According to him, he does not see Obi and Kwankwaso as a convincing alternative to the current administration.
“I think the very question ringing in most young minds is: what will the Obi and Kwankwaso alliance do differently from the incumbent if elected into office?” he said. According to him, the alliance has not clearly shown how it plans to address Nigeria’s governance challenges. “Because they don’t have a clear blueprint and implementation strategy that will ensure a total overhaul of the current tide of poor governance in the country,” he added.
Musa further alleged that the political move appears to be driven more by personal ambition than public interest. “It’s crystal clear that they’re after serving their interest rather than that of the poor,” he said. He also raised concerns about the role of identity politics, especially in northern Nigeria, warning that religious and ethnic sentiments could affect their chances. “In addition, the religious and ethnic lines being preached among the younger and, of course, the aged, particularly in the core northern states, will make it difficult to sell a ticket that may likely bring an Igbo presidency,” he said.
A Warning from a Commentator
A public affairs commentator, Mahdi Shehu, criticised the recent political moves by Obi and Kwankwaso, warning that their defection to the NDC may not translate into electoral success against the APC.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, Shehu said the frequent movement of the two opposition figures across political platforms suggests they may be overestimating their political strength. “Obi and Kwankwaso’s monthly pilgrimage and migration from one unregistered club to another association in turmoil, then to another non-existing platform, seems to be overrating their popularity,” he said.
He argued that the political realities that shaped the 2023 elections have changed, warning that relying on past performance could be misleading. “The votes distribution and sentiments of 2023 have been altered by changing dynamics. They seem to be pushing their luck too far,” he added.
According to Shehu, the ongoing realignments may be more about gaining political relevance and bargaining power than building a strong, united opposition capable of winning elections. “They are looking for a bargaining power where their hope is for other opposition blocs to reach out to them,” he said.
He cautioned that such a strategy could backfire if other opposition groups decide to align with the ruling party instead. “If care is not taken, one of the groups can easily reach out to APC, negotiate a power-sharing formula, and reduce Obi and Kwankwaso into political and democratic lepers,” he warned.
Shehu stressed that the only realistic path to defeating the APC in 2027 is unity among opposition leaders, noting that division would weaken their chances. “Harmony between the strong opposition leaders is the only winning formula. Anything short of that is called a political gamble,” he said.
The Bottom Line
Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress, abandoning the ADC over internal crises and legal battles. The Kwankwasiyya movement says it is seeking a “safer platform” without pending court cases. But the reaction in the North is mixed.
Some supporters vow to follow Kwankwaso anywhere. Others believe the “OK ticket” could unite the country and defeat the APC. Sceptics question whether the alliance has a clear blueprint for governance or is driven by personal ambition. And a public affairs commentator warns that the opposition leaders may be overestimating their popularity and pushing their luck too far.
The cracks in the North are real. And whether the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance can turn those cracks into a winning coalition is the central question of the 2027 opposition campaign.
