By Vincent Egunyanga, Anthony Otaru, and David Lawani
The opposition’s effort to forge a common front ahead of the 2027 presidential election has suffered a fresh setback, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) clashing over the presidential ambitions of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.
The latest dispute followed a call by NDC vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, to reconsider his ambition and support Obi, the NDC presidential candidate, in the 2027 election.
Kwankwaso’s position immediately drew a sharp response from the ADC, which accused him and the NDC of undermining the opposition and inadvertently strengthening the chances of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ADC Presidential Campaign Council Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, said Kwankwaso should be campaigning against the Tinubu administration rather than attacking another opposition candidate.
“Rather than campaigning against President Tinubu, whose administration Nigerians are eagerly working to vote out, Kwankwaso is fixated on Atiku Abubakar, the ADC candidate, whom millions of Nigerians believe can restore economic stability and make life affordable again,” Ologbondiyan said.
He questioned Kwankwaso’s motive for focusing on Atiku, describing the move as reckless, self-serving and potentially damaging to the wider opposition effort.
But Kwankwaso rejected the accusation, saying he was concerned by what he described as attacks on him, Obi and the NDC by the ADC campaign team.
“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,” Kwankwaso said.
He accused the ADC Presidential Campaign Council of concentrating on what he described as attempts to create mischief against the NDC instead of presenting the competence, credibility and capacity of its own candidate to Nigerians.
According to him, the ADC campaign had sought to portray the NDC as working for the ruling party or to suggest that the party could withdraw its presidential ticket for the ADC candidate at the last minute.
Kwankwaso challenged the ADC campaign team to focus on defending its candidate against allegations raised by Vice-President Kashim Shettima rather than directing attacks at him and Obi.
He also warned that the ADC could attempt to create confusion among NDC supporters close to the election by claiming that the party intended to withdraw from the presidential race.
“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.
Kwankwaso further declared that the Obi-Kwankwaso, or “OK”, ticket was neither working for nor acting on behalf of the APC or any of its candidates, describing claims to the contrary as unfounded.
“The APC-led government has failed Nigerians. The ADC offers no better alternative. We believe the OK ticket presents a credible and viable option, backed by proven capacity, a strong track record, credibility, and broad support across both Northern and Southern Nigeria,” he said.
He described the ticket as a “healing ticket” committed to uniting the country and addressing challenges in security, education, agriculture, infrastructure, healthcare and the economy.
Kwankwaso also reaffirmed the NDC’s claim to be the country’s most formidable opposition platform, urging supporters and Nigerians sympathetic to its cause to remain committed to the party’s campaign.
“We believe the NDC remains the most formidable and viable opposition party in the country. I therefore urge all our supporters and well-meaning Nigerians to continue working toward the victory of our great party; Nigeria will be OK,” he said.
The latest confrontation comes after months of efforts by opposition figures to establish a broad political arrangement capable of challenging the APC in 2027.
Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso and other political leaders had featured prominently in discussions around opposition cooperation, raising expectations that the major blocs could eventually agree on a common strategy.
However, Atiku and Obi are now pursuing the presidency on separate platforms, placing their supporters in direct competition over which candidate should lead the opposition challenge to Tinubu.
The disagreement has also revived questions around the G100 initiative, through which opposition figures have continued to explore areas of electoral cooperation.
The ADC has clarified that the discussions are principally focused on electoral collaboration, including protecting votes, rather than necessarily producing a single presidential candidate.
*INEC readiness, insecurity raise fresh concerns over polls
While the opposition battles over leadership, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has entered the final phase of preparations for the 2027 elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, recently said the commission had moved from planning into execution as the country entered the final 100-day countdown to the polls. He said election materials were in production, technology systems were undergoing testing and security arrangements were being strengthened.
The commission has also scheduled a nationwide stress test of its BVAS devices from October 23 to 28, followed by a mock accreditation exercise in November.
Yet, concerns over INEC’s readiness persist in some political and electoral circles, particularly over the deployment of artificial intelligence, public communication and the ability of the commission to sustain confidence in the electoral process.
Former INEC Director of Publicity, Victor Agbonwareten, said Nigerians had reasons to remain concerned about the commission’s preparedness, particularly with the introduction of new technologies.
“Uncertainty generally doesn’t augur well for the image of the organisation. Things are not too clear,” he said, while also faulting what he described as inadequate publicity around the commission’s preparations.
He warned that insufficient communication could deepen public distrust and create a trust deficit between INEC and the electorate.
The security situation is another major concern.
The NDC has raised alarm over attacks on its members and campaign offices in states including Edo, Delta, Enugu and Anambra, urging security agencies to guarantee a violence-free electoral process.
The party has also called on the international community to pay close attention to the 2027 elections, while insisting that it would defend its votes within the confines of the law.
