2027: ADC Campaign Council Blasts Kwankwaso Over Call For Atiku To Step Down

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has criticised Rabiu Kwankwaso, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) vice-presidential candidate, over his call for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of Peter Obi.

The council described Kwankwaso’s position as reckless and self-serving, alleging that it could serve the political interests of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the next general election.

Kwankwaso reportedly made the call during an interview with Channels Television, where he disclosed that he had asked some Fulani groups to persuade Atiku to step aside from the presidential contest.

Reacting in a statement, the Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Kola Ologbondiyan, accused Kwankwaso of focusing on Atiku rather than challenging Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ologbondiyan argued that the former Kano State governor’s position could deepen divisions within the opposition and undermine efforts to challenge the ruling party in 2027.

He alleged that Kwankwaso’s stance amounted to advancing Tinubu’s political interests, describing it as consistent with what he characterised as a strategy to create confusion and weaken opposition unity.

The ADC campaign council also questioned Kwankwaso’s commitment to the broader opposition effort, suggesting that his support for Obi was motivated more by personal political ambition than by a collective determination to defeat the APC.

Ologbondiyan further challenged Kwankwaso’s assessment of his own political influence, pointing to his fourth-place finish in the 2023 presidential election as part of the council’s argument.

He contrasted Kwankwaso’s political standing with that of Atiku, whom he described as a nationally recognised figure with political relationships spanning different regions of the country over several decades.

The ADC campaign council maintained that Atiku remained its preferred candidate for defeating Tinubu in 2027, arguing that his candidacy offered a pathway to addressing the economic hardship, poverty and insecurity it blamed on the current administration.

The council also called on Kwankwaso and his supporters to reconsider their position and support Atiku’s presidential ambition.

Meanwhile, separate political discussions ahead of the 2027 election have highlighted differing positions among prominent Nigerian politicians and their associates. Afrobeats star Davido, in an interview with News Central Television, said he would not support the APC in the next presidential election, despite his uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, having declared support for Tinubu.

Davido explained that his uncle’s political decision did not require him to take the same position. He added that he had not settled on a presidential candidate but maintained that he would not vote for or support the APC.

The developments underscore the political realignments and disagreements emerging ahead of the 2027 general election, as parties and political figures seek to consolidate support and define their positions in the contest.