The Kwankwasiyya Movement officially announced that its leader, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, will be joining the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday 30 March 2026.
The decision, which was made public in a press statement, will see Kwankwaso formally register with the coalition party at his residence in Gidan Kwankwasiyya, Miller Road, Kano, at 12:00 p.m.
The announcement has sent ripples through the political landscape, with the Kwankwasiyya Movement calling on its members across Nigeria to immediately join the ADC at their local wards, local government areas, and state levels.
Habibu Sale Mohammed, spokesperson for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, explained the decision in the press release, emphasising the movement’s commitment to advancing democratic values and good governance.
Just last week, the former New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) national leader jolted political watchers when he hosted former Labour Party(LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson and Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde at his residence, eliciting the emergence of a strong political realignment.
The meeting, which took place during the Sallah celebrations, was seen as a strategic move to strengthen ties and discuss possible collaboration on how to fly the ADC ticket, and it is believed this alliance could be a game-changer for the opposition, combining Obi’s youth-driven movement with Kwankwaso’s strong Northern support base.
Kwankwaso’s decision to join the ADC instead of the APC stems from his desire for “tangible political benefits and a clear role in the party.” He had previously considered joining the APC with Governor Abba Yusuf but wanted assurances about his position and the party’s direction.
Kwankwaso reportedly demanded the vice-presidential slot in the APC, which was a major point of negotiation. He wanted clarity on the party’s direction and his role within it. He also sought guarantees for his supporters’ safety and interests, but party stakeholders, most especially former APC Chairman, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, described as “outrageous” his demand to deputise President Bola Tinubu in next year’s polls, offering him a ministerial appointment which he rejected.
Already, former presidential aide, Bashir Ahmad, has said that Kwankwaso’s defection from NNPP to ADC may influence the fortune of APC in Kano State. Reacting, Ahmad said the move could have some impact on APC’s prospects in Kano, but noted that the situation remains manageable. He added that the party can still secure victory if it remains united and organised.
Amid the surge of defectors to the ADC, there is still a mountain to climb in the selection of its presidential candidate, with the party at the weekend explaining the reason for considering a consensus approach in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, saying it is primarily because it is the most cost-effective option available to the party.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this during an appearance on One-on-One, an Arise TV programme. He explained that while the party has the options of direct primaries and consensus, indirect primaries are no longer under consideration in line with the amended Electoral Act.
“We are trying as much as possible to adopt the consensus approach because that is the least costly for us. For us, the best-case scenario is to be able to engineer consensus, and that’s what we are working on,” Abdullahi said.
Abdullahi further described the APC as a “special purpose vehicle” created to deliver the presidencies of the late Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu, adding that the party has largely fulfilled that purpose. He also alleged that the ruling party was showing signs of anxiety ahead of future elections.
“Why is a party with 31 governors and about 90 per cent of the National Assembly still panicking? Why are they still trying to destabilise other opposition parties? Nigerians are tired of them,” he said.
The party has been linked to potential 2027 presidential aspirants, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi. However, no formal announcements have been made regarding specific candidacies.
However, the Village Boys Movement (VBM) has stepped up calls on the party to hand over its presidential ticket to Obi following a coordinated nationwide mobilisation across several states. The group, at the weekend, staged what it described as a “2 Million Man March and ADC Registration Drive,” with activities held simultaneously in Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Plateau, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ondo, Ogun, Oyo, Kogi and Edo states.
Organisers of the exercise said the turnout underscored a growing grassroots momentum and increasing demand for political change ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued after the event, the Village Headmaster of the movement, Mr Tochukwu Ezeoke, said the march was designed to serve a dual purpose of demonstrating public support for Obi while also driving mass membership registration into the ADC.
According to him, the initiative forms part of a broader strategy aimed at building a structured and nationally coordinated political base capable of influencing future electoral outcomes.
VBM also drew attention to ongoing political realignments and conversations among major stakeholders, including the PDP, APC, LP, and the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum. It noted that calls for a Southern presidency were gaining traction within these blocs. The group therefore urged the ADC to act in line with what it described as the popular will by granting Obi the party’s presidential ticket without delay.
This is as former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said that the ADC will lose the 2027 elections if Obi is not on the party’s ticket. Fayose made the remarks on Sunday at the PDP’s national convention holding in Abuja.
“I’m happy with what Asiwaju is doing. You don’t have to have 100 per cent of any issue before you are said to be doing well, but when you relate our past with our present, he is not doing well,” he said.
On the opposition, Fayose suggested that the ADC’s chances depend heavily on Obi’s participation. “I tell you that if Obi is not on the ballot of ADC, that is the end of ADC. It looks like now that Obi will not, Atiku will get the ticket,” he stated.
He also cast doubt on Obi’s political path ahead of the election. “It’s impossible for him to go back to the LP. Obi is a good guy; he’s a fantastic guy, but to become the president at this time is difficult,” Fayose added.
He said the Obi factor played a crucial role in the 2023 general polls, but argued that the same narrative wouldn’t play out next year.
MEANWHILE, over 2,000 delegates drawn from across Nigeria are participating in the PDP National Convention holding in Abuja, the nation’s capital. The exercise is being organised by the Abdulrahman Mohammed-led caretaker committee.
FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, who described the elective National Convention of the PDP as the real National Convention being observed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), assured delegates that the party will be on the ballot in 2027 despite the crises and defections the PDP has faced.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, thanked members of the party for their resilience and steadfast belief in the party as a vehicle of National Development. He added that the path to the party’s future will be paved with the sacrifice of its members. According to him, “leadership must not be selfish and must sacrifice for the followers to ensure development.
“Those who defected lack leadership like the former Labour Party Presidential Candidate, who cannot solve problems. When they were looking for positions, they used our platform, but when a crisis came, they ran away”.
Wike added: “All those who took the mandate of the PDP and defected will be dealt with and the mandate taken back by us. The governors have shown that if you make any of them President and we face external aggression they will run away”.
He, however, urged members who are aggrieved to return to the fold and help in the process of renewal, regeneration and reorganisation of the party into a formidable entity. 2,415 delegates have been accredited to vote in the National Convention out of the 2,527 expected delegates.
Also, former Senate President Bukola Saraki has said the successful conduct of the convention has reaffirmed the party’s eligibility to participate in the 2027 general elections. Speaking at the party’s convention in Abuja, themed ‘A Convention of Inclusiveness, Unity, and Renewal,’ Saraki noted that the presence of INEC validated the process and strengthened confidence in the party’s internal procedures.
He said the development marked a significant turning point for the PDP, stressing that the party can now confidently present candidates in the 2027 elections without uncertainty over its status.
A founding father of the party, Sule Lamido, has called on aggrieved members of the party to come back to the fold to ensure inclusivity, unity and renewal.
Sule Lamido a former Minister Of Foreign Affairs and former governor of Jigawa State made the appeal while speaking at the elective National Convention of the party in Abuja.
He described PDP as the collective patrimony of all members, urging aggrieved members to come together to rebuild, renew and create a united front going forward.
BUT a former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Olabode George, has accused the ruling APC of attempting to weaken the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections. He noted that efforts allegedly being carried out through the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, against the PDP would ultimately fail.
George, who spoke in Lagos on Sunday, expressed concern over what he described as growing political interference capable of undermining democratic competition in the country. The elder statesman alleged that recent crises within opposition parties were being influenced by forces within the ruling establishment to prevent credible opposition participation in the next presidential election.
The PDP chieftain maintained that the party remained committed to constitutional order and internal stability, stressing that its calm approach to ongoing disputes should not be mistaken for weakness. According to him, Nigerians were closely observing political developments and would resist any attempt to erode democratic principles.
He further claimed that Wike no longer belongs to the PDP, asserting that the former Rivers State governor had been expelled alongside others during a party convention held in Ibadan last year. George argued that it was therefore improper for the minister to claim leadership of any faction within the party or act on its behalf.
Calling on national leaders and elders to intervene, George urged President Bola Tinubu to rein in the minister, warning that unchecked political actions could heighten tensions across the country. He cautioned that suppressing opposition voices or manipulating party structures could have far-reaching consequences for Nigeria’s democracy and political stability .
Similarly, a presidential aspirant on the PDP platform, Gbenga Ha shim, has intensified cross-party consultations to forge a broad-based coalition to counter what he described as a gradual drift toward a one-party state in Nigeria. Hashim made the call in Abuja while hosting leaders of the Accord Party, led by its National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem. Other members of the delegation included the party’s National Secretary, Adebukola Abiola Ajaja; National Treasurer, Salaudeen Abdulazeez Oyeniyi; and Organising Secretary, Ibe ThankGod.
During the meeting, Hashim stressed the urgency of opposition unity, noting that collaboration among political actors is essential to preserve democratic pluralism and institutional balance.
The engagement follows Hashim’s recent appearance on Channels Television, where he raised concerns about what he termed a subtle agenda by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) under President Bola Tinubu to turn Nigeria into a one-party state.
He argued that opposition parties are increasingly constrained by internal divisions and external pressures, undermining their capacity to organise and function effectively.
Hashim also criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing it of imposing an unconstitutional electoral timetable. He referenced provisions of the Electoral Act, particularly Section 29(1), which requires political parties to submit their lists of candidates no later than 120 days before an election.
According to him, the law implies that parties should have until around August or September to conclude their primaries. He, however, faulted INEC’s directive requiring primaries to end by May, arguing that it effectively shortens the timeline by several months and places undue pressure on opposition parties already grappling with internal disputes and litigation.
While acknowledging recent adjustments by INEC to the deadlines for submitting party registers, Hashim maintained that the fundamental concern regarding the compressed timetable remains unresolved.
The latest meeting is part of a broader engagement strategy. Earlier in the year, Hashim held talks with the presidential candidate and national chairman of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, in what observers view as a sustained push toward opposition alignment.
