Obi, Kwankwaso join NDC after ADC crisis ahead of 2027

A major political realignment is underway ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 elections, as Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), following their exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The two opposition figures, who placed third and fourth respectively in the 2023 presidential election according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), were received into the NDC at a ceremony in Abuja on Sunday. Videos from the event showed Kwankwaso receiving his membership card first, followed by Obi, confirming their formal defection.

Their move comes after weeks of uncertainty within the ADC, where both politicians had aligned with a broader opposition coalition led by former vice president Atiku Abubakar. The coalition had aimed to present a united front against President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

However, the arrangement quickly ran into internal disputes, including disagreements over the process for selecting a presidential candidate and a series of legal battles that cast doubt on the party’s stability.

The crisis deepened after the Supreme Court granted the ADC temporary relief last week but returned key leadership disputes to the Federal High Court, leaving unresolved questions about control of the party. Both Obi and Kwankwaso had expressed concerns privately about the party’s direction and viability.

Earlier on Sunday, the two politicians met behind closed doors with NDC leaders, including the party’s national leader and former Bayelsa governor, Seriake Dickson, at his residence in Abuja. Supporters gathered outside chanting “O-K is okay,” a slogan suggesting a potential joint ticket with Obi as presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as running mate. Kwankwaso has reportedly signalled willingness to deputise Obi in a possible alliance.

Obi’s decision to leave the ADC was accompanied by a statement reflecting both personal frustration and broader concerns about Nigeria’s political environment. “We now live in an environment that has become increasingly toxic, where the very system that should protect and create opportunities for decent living often works against the people,” he said.

He denied that his exit was driven by personal grievances with party leaders, stating: “My decision to leave the ADC is not because our highly respected Chairman, Senator David Mark, treated me badly, nor because my leader and elder brother, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, or any other respected leaders did anything personally wrong to me.”

Instead, Obi pointed to systemic issues and alleged external interference. “The same Nigerian state and its agents that created unnecessary crises and hostility within the Labour Party that forced me to leave now appear to be finding their way into the ADC, with endless court cases, internal battles, suspicion, and division,” he said.

Obi framed his political ambition in broader terms: “Let me assure all that I am not desperate to be President, Vice President, or Senate President. I am desperate to see a society that can console a mother whose child has been kidnapped or killed… a Nigeria where people do not go to bed hungry.”

The entry of Obi and Kwankwaso significantly raises the profile of the NDC, a relatively less prominent platform now positioning itself as a potential vehicle for opposition consolidation. Their defection also reshapes the opposition landscape, potentially fragmenting efforts to build a single coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The development is seen as easing pressure on President Tinubu ahead of 2027, as opposition divisions persist.