The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi and ex-governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have stepped up efforts to secure a joint presidential ticket on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 elections.
TheTimes Nigeria reports that party sources who spoke with Punch disclosed that the duo are promoting a one-term presidency arrangement to attract support from northern stakeholders.
According to insiders, the proposal aims to persuade the North to back a southern presidency in 2027, with Obi projected to serve a single term if the plan succeeds.
The consultations are also seen as a strategy to shift support away from Atiku Abubakar ahead of the party’s primaries.
Multiple sources said the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance has been engaging key leaders to consolidate influence within the party and across the North.
Findings revealed that Kwankwaso’s camp has ramped up engagements in recent weeks, meeting with traditional rulers and influential stakeholders.
Sources said the campaign team has been urging northern leaders to support power rotation. They reportedly argued that backing another northern candidate could undermine future political prospects for the region.
The joint ticket campaign gained momentum even before Kwankwaso officially joined the ADC on March 30, 2026.
On April 20, supporters of both politicians inaugurated the Obi–Kwankwaso Movement to mobilise support ahead of the party’s primaries.
An ADC insider said the alliance is already gaining traction among northern leaders.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added that some northern stakeholders had already pledged support to Kwankwaso, abandoning earlier plans to back Atiku.
He said, “What we’re canvassing is fairness; the South should be allowed to complete its eight years. The North completed its eight years before Tinubu took over power. While we have seen that Tinubu’s administration is a disaster, that should not rob the entire South of its deserved eight years. What we need is to elect another southerner as the next president in 2027, and that is why we are canvassing for Obi, who, luckily, has promised a one term.
“We have been convincing some northern leaders to accept Obi’s one-term proposal and support him. RMK (Kwankwaso) is working on this, and some of our leaders in the North have genuinely thrown their weight behind him.
“From our end, the committee set up by Obi and Kwankwaso on their joint ticket is making plans to formalise Obi’s one-term promise and make it public. Kwankwaso too is driving the one-term promise among northern leaders, but I think he needs to do more on Obi’s part to ensure that ‘an agreement is an agreement.’
“We want major northern stakeholders to see that he (Obi) is not playing games. But if he eventually becomes president and decides to renege on his agreement, we have the mechanism to remove him. The North has the voting bloc to do so. That is why some northern leaders prefer Goodluck Jonathan to contest, but the former president is reluctant to run.”
