2027: Obasanjo’s Big Play – An Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket Takes Shape Against Tinubu

By: Abudu Olalekan

Well, this is interesting. The 2027 chessboard is getting set. And former President Olusegun Obasanjo appears to be moving the pieces. A major alliance is crystallizing. Reportersroom has learned that the proposed joint ticket between 2023 Labour Party candidate Peter Obi and ex-Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso is not just talk. It’s in an advanced stage. Seriously advanced.

Here’s the scoop. This isn’t some random idea. Multiple sources confirm Obasanjo is the architect. The former President, who openly backed Obi last election, has now reportedly blessed Obi’s move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC). And he gave a direct instruction: team up with Kwankwaso. Secure the ADC’s presidential and vice-presidential tickets together. A straight shot at President Bola Tinubu.

Think about the history. Obasanjo once called Obi a mentee with an “edge.” Kwankwaso was his Defence Minister. But his former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar? There’s a clear, cold distance there. This move sidelines Atiku completely. Speaks volumes.

Right now, Atiku, Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi are the main ADC aspirants. Kwankwaso isn’t even in the party yet. But get this—the alliance work is already happening around the party. A committee has been set up. For about a month now. “We’re no longer at the talking stage; we have moved ahead,” a source in Obi’s camp told Reportersroom. Things are moving. Fast.

Magaji Ibrahim, a Kwankwasiyya leader and SAN, is on that committee. He confirmed it. “The central point is to salvage the nation,” he said. Kwankwaso is ready to be VP, he indicated. But they won’t accept anything less than the top two slots. Talks with ADC leaders about Kwankwaso’s defection are ongoing.

Obasanjo’s role doesn’t stop at the introduction. He’s apparently connecting Obi with northern power brokers. Making calls. Building bridges. A source close to the former President confirmed he’s “working to ensure the alliance pulls through.” They just wouldn’t give more details.

Now, the ADC’s official spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, says the party isn’t aware of any alliance. But he called both men “assets.” He said Kwankwaso is welcome. It feels like the party is waiting for this force to land in its lap.

And what about Atiku? Is he worried? His spokesperson, Paul Ibe, dismissed any threat. “Atiku is not in any way threatened,” he said. He called it a welcome development for patriots. But you have to wonder. This alliance fundamentally changes the calculus.

The Obidient Movement seems open to it. Coordinator Yinusa Tanko called a Obi-Kwankwaso combo “a very strong combination.” But there’s a tension point bubbling. Zoning.

Some in Obi’s camp are pushing hard for the ADC ticket to be zoned to the South. They argue it’s the only sure way to beat Tinubu. A southern candidate, like Obi, pulling votes nationwide. But this is causing friction within the ADC itself.

Party leaders from Kogi, Edo, and Adamawa States warn that pushing for zoning is “myopic” and plays into Tinubu’s hands. They say it undermines the needed coalition. “Anyone pushing for zoning does not mean well for the party,” Kogi’s chairman stated bluntly. It’s a serious divide that needs managing.

So where does this leave us? Obasanjo has lit a fuse. A formal committee is working. Two powerful political identities—Obi’s southern appeal and Kwankwaso’s northern roots—are being welded together. The platform is almost ready. The official party is playing catch-up.

The 2027 campaign might have just unofficially begun. And it’s starting with a bold, Obasanjo-engineered merger that could redefine the opposition. If they can settle the zoning argument and present a united front? Things could get very interesting.