Crisis hits opposition as ADC accuses NDC’s Kwankwaso of doing Tinubu’s bidding

• Accuses ex-Kano Gov of recklessness

• Says Atiku will win Kano State easily

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council (ADC-PCC) has berated Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over his call for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step down for Mr Peter Obi, describing the statement as reckless, self-serving and a desperate attempt to advance President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s political interests ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The Director of Media and Publicity of the ADC-PCC, Kola Ologbondiyan, stated this while reacting to Kwankwaso’s interview on Channels Television, accusing the former Kano State governor of focusing on opposition leaders rather than confronting the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration that Nigerians are desperate to vote out.

Ologbondiyan declared that Atiku Abubakar would win Kano State (Kwankwaso’s home state) in the 2027 presidential election with or without Kwankwaso’s support, stressing that the hardship, hunger, poverty and insecurity confronting Nigerians would ultimately determine their choices at the polls.

He noted that Kwankwaso’s position was particularly curious given his own political alignment with Peter Obi and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), arguing that, as a member of the opposition seeking to unseat the incumbent government, his priority should be building a stronger opposition rather than attempting to undermine another opposition leader.

His words, “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.

“Why is Kwankwaso so obsessed with Atiku? The answer may lie in his own political calculations.

“Having reportedly described the office of the Vice President as a ‘spare tyre’, he appears more concerned about positioning himself for the 2031 presidential election rather than addressing the urgent challenges confronting Nigerians today,” Ologbondiyan said.

The ADC-PCC spokesman argued that Kwankwaso’s conduct raised questions about his actual political preferences for 2027, suggesting that his actions appeared more beneficial to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) than supporting any of the opposition candidates.

Ologbondiyan, however, maintained that history did not support the assumption that Kwankwaso’s political influence was indispensable to any presidential candidate seeking victory in Kano.

Citing the 2003 and 2007 presidential elections, Ologbondiyan recalled that former President Muhammadu Buhari secured victories in Kano despite not enjoying Kwankwaso’s support, arguing that Atiku could equally win the state in 2027.

Continuing, he said, “What Kwankwaso is doing amounts to advancing President Tinubu’s interests. It is a familiar APC strategy to use willing collaborators within the opposition to create confusion, sow division and weaken the collective efforts to bring about political change.

“Nigerians are wiser than that and will not allow themselves to be distracted by political manoeuvres designed to rescue an unpopular administration,” he said.

Ologbondiyan further accused Kwankwaso of having a history of political manoeuvring that, in his view, placed personal ambition above the collective interests of opposition parties.

He alleged that Kwankwaso’s latest intervention was less about strengthening Peter Obi’s presidential prospects than positioning himself for future political negotiations ahead of 2031.

According to him, “Nigerians are not fooled. There is a growing perception that Kwankwaso’s support for Peter Obi is driven more by his personal ambition than by a genuine commitment to the opposition’s collective objective of defeating the APC.

“He appears to believe that by pushing the South-East narrative, he can position himself for a future bargain with the ruling party. It is an old-style political calculation that Nigerians are increasingly unwilling to accept,” Ologbondiyan stated.

The ADC-PCC spokesman also questioned Kwankwaso’s political trajectory, citing his movement across different political platforms as evidence, in his assessment, of persistent political repositioning.

“From the PDP to the APC, back to the PDP, then to the NNPP, the ADC, and now the NDC, Kwankwaso’s political journey calls for serious reflection. His latest interventions appear to be taking him back into the political shadows of the APC,” he said.

Contrasting the political profiles of Atiku and Kwankwaso, Ologbondiyan described the former Vice President as a nationally established politician with extensive political networks across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

He argued that Atiku’s longstanding political relationships across regional, ethnic and religious divides placed him in a stronger position to build a winning national coalition in 2027.

Speaking further, Ologbondiyan said, “Atiku Abubakar is a cosmopolitan, detribalised and nationally recognised political figure who has built relationships across the North, South, East and West over more than three decades.

“Kwankwaso, on the other hand, has concentrated much of his political strength within Kano State. His ability to translate that regional influence into broad national electoral success remains a major question,” he said.

Ologbondiyan further argued that Kwankwaso had overstated his political relevance, pointing to his fourth-place finish in the 2023 presidential election as evidence that his influence had not translated into the level of national support required to win the presidency.

His words, “Kwankwaso must come to terms with the realities of the national political landscape. His influence should not be confused with the capacity to win a presidential election.

“If his political relevance were as extensive as he suggests, why did he finish fourth in the last presidential election?” he queried.

Ologbondiyan added that the ADC-PCC was concerned about the implications of Kwankwaso’s approach for Peter Obi and the leadership of the NDC, stressing that Atiku’s national pathways would lead him to eventual victory.

The council therefore urged Nigerians and the media to disregard what it described as Kwankwaso’s attention-seeking intervention and remain focused on the broader objective of rallying behind Atiku Abubakar and the ADC to rescue, recover and rebuild the country.

He added, “Our campaign however invites Kwankwaso and his allies to reconsider their position and support the formidable candidacy of Atiku Abubakar.

“Atiku remains our preferred pathway to defeating President Tinubu and ending the hunger, poverty and insecurity that the APC administration has foisted on our nation.

“The task before opposition leaders is not to undermine one another for personal political advantage but to unite around the urgent national mission of rescuing Nigeria,” Ologbondiyan concluded.