Kwankwaso Joins ADC, PDP Convention Vows 2027 Comeback
Nigeria’s opposition landscape shifted dramaaaaaaatically at the weekend as two major political developments unfolded simultaneously: former New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso formally defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) held its national convention in Abuja amid internal divisions and renewed calls for party unity.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement confirmed in a press statement that Kwankwaso registered with the ADC at his Gidan Kwankwasiyya residence on Miller Road, Kano, urging members nationwide to follow suit at ward, local government, and state levels. Spokesperson Habibu Sale Mohammed cited a commitment to democratic values and good governance as the basis for the decision.
The defection follows Kwankwaso’s high-profile hosting of former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Bayelsa State Governor Seriake Dickson, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde during Sallah celebrations — a meeting widely interpreted as a strategic opposition realignment. Kwankwaso had reportedly explored joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but rejected offers including a ministerial appointment after his reported demand for the vice-presidential slot was dismissed as “outrageous” by former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. Former presidential aide Bashir Ahmad acknowledged the defection could affect APC’s prospects in Kano but described the situation as manageable if the party remains united.
Within the ADC, the question of a 2027 presidential candidate remains unresolved. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed on Arise TV’s One-on-One programme that the party favours a consensus approach over direct primaries for cost reasons. “We are trying as much as possible to adopt the consensus approach because that is the least costly for us,” he said. Abdullahi also described the APC as a “special purpose vehicle” that had largely fulfilled its purpose, questioning why a party controlling 31 governorships and approximately 90 per cent of the National Assembly was still “panicking” and attempting to destabilise opposition parties.
The Village Boys Movement (VBM) staged a nationwide mobilisation drive across 12 states, including Abia, Adamawa, Kaduna, and Oyo, calling on the ADC to hand its presidential ticket to Obi. VBM Village Headmaster Tochukwu Ezeoke said the exercise was designed to demonstrate grassroots support for Obi while driving mass ADC registration. Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose echoed this position at the PDP convention, warning: “If Obi is not on the ballot of ADC, that is the end of ADC.”
At the PDP convention in Abuja — attended by 2,415 accredited delegates out of 2,527 expected — FCT Minister Nyesom Wike assured the party it would be on the ballot in 2027. Former Senate President Bukola Saraki said INEC’s presence validated the process, while founding member Sule Lamido urged aggrieved members to return.
However, former PDP Deputy National Chairman Olabode George alleged the APC was using Wike to destabilise the opposition, adding that Wike had been expelled at the Ibadan convention. PDP presidential aspirant Gbenga Hashim separately hosted Accord Party leaders in Abuja, warning against a one-party drift and criticising INEC’s primaries timetable as unconstitutionally compressed under Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act.