Last Sunday, former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr.. Peter Obi, paid a Sallah visit to the leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, in Kano State.

 

 

According to a post shared on X by Dr. Yunusa Tanko, Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, following Obi’s meeting with Kwankwaso, the engagement focused on “strategising for our collective interest to make Nigeria work again for all of us”.

 

The visit has stirred fresh speculation about a possible alliance between two men whose separate ambitions in 2023 may have cost them a collective opportunity.

 

 

UGAMATV recalls that at the backdrop to this renewed engagement is the failed alliance talks before the last presidential election in 2023.

 

Many analysts believe that the meeting served asved as a reminder of unfinished business, and perhaps a quiet restart of conversations that once failed to materialize.

 

Before the last presidential election, both Obi and Kwankwaso were riding waves of political momentum: Obi with his youth-driven “Obidient” movement under the Labour Party, and Kwankwaso with the deeply rooted Kwankwasiyya base under the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

 

However, negotiations between the two camps reportedly broke down over disagreements on power-sharing, party supremacy, and ultimately, who would take the presidential ticket. What could have become a formidable third force instead splintered into parallel campaigns.

 

UGAMATV reported how both men contested separately, splitting opposition votes in a tightly contested election in which President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress emerged the winner.

 

Many Nigerians have since argued that a united front might have significantly altered the outcome.

 

Obasanjo leading push to unite Obi, Kwankwaso – Sambo

 

Recently speaking about the matter, Sumner Sambo, Editor for Politics at Arise News, revealed fresh moves by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to rally key opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Monday, Sambo disclosed that a committee set up by Obasanjo in December had already initiated talks involving Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with stakeholders working towards a possible alliance.

 

He noted that any successful coalition would likely require the involvement of all major opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi, to achieve a unified front.

 

Sambo said consultations in Kano indicate that Kwankwaso is now under pressure from political stakeholders to reconsider joining a broader opposition alliance.

 

He added that the success of the proposed coalition would depend on the ability of ADC leaders to manage competing interests and build consensus among the various political blocs ahead of 2027.

 

Sambo said: “This is Olusegun Obasanjo’s desire. Actually, I’ve been speaking with lots of people, and they told me that this is what looks like the last gift that Olusegun Obasanjo, former president of Nigeria, thinks he can give to Nigeria’s democratic process, by seeing how he can bring some younger elements within the angle of Nigerian politics.

 

“Sometime around December, there was a committee that was set up by Olusegun Obasanjo, who had brought some elements between then Labor Party leader Peter Obi who’s in the ADC, and then Rabbi Musa Kwankwaso.

 

“That committee was set up in December and Magaji Ibrahim, who happens to be a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and the national legal advisor of the NNPP, had confirmed that meeting, that they had been approached and they are already working towards that.

 

“Obasanjo seems to be bringing back what he had tried in 2023 when he tried to sometime around 2022 move around with Peter Obi across the north, using Professor Ango Abdullahi of the Northern Elders Forum to see how the North can be galvanized towards seeing Obi being given a ticket and then being supported by the North.

 

“That didn’t happen, and eventually Obi went ahead and got the Labor Party ticket. He still tried to see how Kwankwaso could join him. But Kwankwaso said, no, he’s a more experienced politician, he was more politically experienced than Peter Obi.

 

“But now, seeing that President Tinubu had himself wanted to get Kwankwaso but some of the conditions that Kwankwaso put in place were not accepted, and this NNPP judgment had come in place, wouldn’t it be like, you know, a golden opportunity for Kwankwaso to now go back to that initial arrangement?

 

“Well, these are the things that people are saying. And I’ve spoken to a few people in Kano last night, including this morning, and they are saying that, look, Kwankwaso is beginning to be appealed to that decision, that desire and so on, as long as the elders of the ADC can contain all other groups, and they can ensure that this system is perfected and it is birthed in 2027.”

 

Nigerians yearn for Obi–Kwankwaso alliance – NNPP legal adviser

 

Also speaking, the National Legal Adviser of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, Magaji Mato, said Nigerians are increasingly calling for a political alliance between Peter Obi and Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Mato made the remarks while speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show on Tuesday, where he described the emerging political alignment as one long anticipated by many Nigerians.

 

According to him, the combination of Obi and Kwankwaso represents a new generation of leadership that Nigerians consider capable, experienced, and physically fit to govern.

 

He said both men have been tested in leadership and enjoy a level of trust among citizens who are seeking change in the country’s political direction.

 

Mato described the public reaction to Obi’s visit as “overwhelming,” noting that sentiments expressed by attendees suggest strong grassroots support for a possible alliance.

 

He expressed optimism that the alliance could gain traction, stressing that if the political environment allows it to evolve naturally, it may significantly reshape the 2027 electoral contest.

 

Mato said: “When you have a system where people are choked to their throats, a lot of issues come into play. The combination we are seeing is a combination that Nigerians have been longing for a very long time in the political space of this nation.

 

“People have always longed to have the Kwankwaso and Obi coming up together. And then people have always longed to have a smooth system where these people who are still younger in age and then stronger in terms of health and in terms of capacity to lead.

 

“They have led in the past. They have been tested. They are trusted. People are looking for a change.

 

“Nigerians are tired of being led by people who should be in their farmhouses, relaxing and praying for the nation. People have no business coming to the leadership space, because by their age, they should be resting.

 

“So, it’s a very hopeful alliance. And I longed for an alliance. It is an alliance that, once the system is allowed to flow naturally, I think the people would want a change.”

 

Alliance talks ‘gaining momentum’ – Tanko

 

On his part, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Yunusa Tanko, said ongoing discussions between Obi and Kwankwaso are beginning to yield results ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Tanko disclosed that talks between both camps date back to the aftermath of the 2023 elections, stressing that the objective is to build a broad-based alliance to “rescue Nigeria.”

 

He said the proposed collaboration could extend beyond the two political figures to include other stakeholders across the country.

 

According to him, a partnership between supporters of Obi and Kwankwaso would significantly boost opposition strength and improve electoral prospects.

 

Tanko described the potential alliance as timely, citing growing public dissatisfaction with the current state of the country and increasing calls for a shift in leadership.

 

The Obidient Movement coordinator expressed optimism that a united opposition front could mount a formidable challenge in 2027, adding that recent engagements between both camps have already generated widespread public interest and support.

 

 

Obi–Kwankwaso alliance: Opposition’s last hope – Analyst

 

Meanwhile, a public affairs analyst and communication expert at Peaceland University, Enugu, Nduka Odo, has described the recent meeting between Obi and Kwankwaso as a critical turning point for Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 

Speaking to news men on Tuesday, Odo said the alliance talks were long overdue, noting that both politicians should have initiated such discussions as far back as 2022.

 

He, however, described the recent Kano meeting as a “shocker” in Nigeria’s political landscape, warning that the growing dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, poses a threat to opposition politics.

 

Odo said the Obi–Kwankwaso engagement currently represents the “only light in the tunnel” for opposition forces, expressing doubt over the capacity of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to remain competitive in 2027.

 

He stressed that a strong opposition is vital for democracy, adding that President Bola Tinubu, known for his political strategy, would likely move to weaken any emerging alliance.

 

The analyst said the success of the proposed coalition would depend on the sincerity and commitment of both leaders, urging them to move beyond symbolic meetings to building a formidable political force.