OPPOSITION UNITY UNDER STRAIN

• Kwankwaso rebukes ADC, rules out withdrawal for Atiku
• Rejects claims Obi’s ticket is working for Tinubu
• ADC faults call for its candidate to step aside

By PHC Telegraph

Fresh strains have emerged between two leading opposition camps ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso rebuking the African Democratic Congress campaign council and declaring that the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential ticket will not withdraw for Atiku Abubakar or any other candidate.

Kwankwaso, running mate to the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, also rejected suggestions that their ticket was working for President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.

His intervention has brought into sharper focus the competition between the two camps over who should lead the opposition’s challenge to the incumbent.

In a statement issued on Sunday, October 18, Kwankwaso accused the ADC Presidential Campaign Council of targeting him, Obi and their party instead of concentrating on presenting its candidate’s credentials to Nigerians.

“I have noted with deep concern the conduct of the ADC campaign team. The attacks directed at me, our presidential candidate His Excellency Peter Obi, and our party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), are unnecessary and unhelpful,” he said.

The latest exchange followed Kwankwaso’s earlier call for Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, to step down for Obi.

Responding on Friday, the ADC campaign council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, described that intervention as self-serving and accused Kwankwaso of undermining opposition efforts to defeat Tinubu.

“What Kwankwaso is doing amounts to advancing President Tinubu’s interests,” Ologbondiyan alleged.

The ADC spokesman argued that opposition leaders should concentrate on the economic hardship and insecurity confronting Nigerians rather than weaken one another’s campaigns.

He also maintained that Atiku possessed extensive political relationships across the country and could win Kano State without Kwankwaso’s support. Those assertions represent the ADC campaign’s assessment of its candidate’s strength.

But Kwankwaso dismissed the suggestion that the Obi–Kwankwaso ticket, promoted as the “OK ticket”, was acting on behalf of the ruling party.

“The OK ticket is neither working for nor acting on behalf of the APC or any of its candidates. We see no possibility or reason to withdraw from the presidential race in favour of the ADC candidate or any other,” he stated.

He accused the ADC campaign of encouraging impressions that the NDC might eventually abandon its presidential bid.

Warning against possible claims of a last-minute withdrawal, he urged supporters to remain committed to the party.

“Let me state clearly and unequivocally: we will not withdraw our candidature for the ADC or any other party. We remain confident in our capacity, competence, and readiness to lead Nigeria,” he said.

His warning anticipates possible misinformation as polling approaches; it does not establish that the ADC has a plan to circulate such claims.

Kwankwaso also urged the ADC campaign council to address allegations made against its candidate by Vice-President Kashim Shettima. His reference to those allegations did not establish their substance or accuracy.

Taking aim at both rival parties, he declared: “The APC-led government has failed Nigerians. The ADC offers no better alternative.”

He presented the NDC ticket as a platform for national reconciliation, citing its claimed support across northern and southern Nigeria and its readiness to address security, education, agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and the economy.

The exchange exposes a difficult question for opposition cooperation: which presidential candidate, if any, would be willing to yield?

While Kwankwaso has urged Atiku to step aside, he has firmly rejected any corresponding withdrawal by the NDC ticket. The ADC, meanwhile, has defended Atiku’s candidature and challenged Kwankwaso’s motives.

Their competing positions could complicate efforts to coordinate against the APC, particularly where both parties seek support from the same dissatisfied voters. However, any electoral advantage to Tinubu would depend on voting patterns and the relative strength of the parties across the country.

For now, Kwankwaso’s declaration firmly rejects withdrawal. Whether the rival camps can preserve room for other forms of cooperation remains an open question.