A coalition of pro-Tinubu Igbo groups, operating under the forum Ndigbo For Tinubu 2027 (NDI-ABAT), has dismissed a potential 2027 joint presidential ticket between Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso as a “non-threat” to Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
The group’s leadership, including National Coordinator as well as Secretary-General – Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro and Dr Ugwuoke Ugwuoke – in a statement issued on Thursday, March 26, 2026 highlighted several reasons for their stance.
According to the statement, intelligence reports obtained by the group indicate that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is actively involved in facilitating a joint presidential ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso for the 2027 elections.
It further claimed that Kwankwaso has already accepted to be Obi’s vice-presidential candidate and running mate in an opposition political party other than the ADC.
The group also stated that recent developments in Kano State form part of the alleged political strategy, noting that Obi’s Eid-el-Fitr celebration visit to Kano, where he was received at Kwankwaso’s residence, was a deliberate political signal.
It said the visit was intended to show that the two former 2023 presidential candidates of the Labour Party (LP) and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have aligned to challenge President Tinubu in 2027.
The forum argued that emerging opposition alignments are unlikely to reshape the political landscape or pose a formidable challenge to the incumbent.
They pointed to internal dynamics and the continued presidential ambitions of other figures like Atiku Abubakar as factors that would hinder a unified opposition.
NDI-ABAT expressed confidence that President Tinubu retains strong support in the South-East, bolstered by mobilization efforts from figures like Minister of Works David Umahi, and claimed that while there are signals of a joint ticket—such as Obi’s recent visit to Kwankwaso in Kano—these moves do not translate into a viable electoral force.
Speculation regarding an Obi/Kwankwaso ticket has intensified following high-profile meetings and reports suggesting former President Olusegun Obasanjo is facilitating a coalition, potentially under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
While supporters of the duo view the alliance as a “North-South bridge” capable of unseating the All Progressives Congress (APC), pro-government groups like NDI-ABAT maintain that the old playbook of opposition coalitions will not succeed in 2027.
