Former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso says opposition parties may still unite ahead of the 2027 general election despite recent political realignments involving major opposition figures.
Kwankwaso dismissed claims that his exit from the African Democratic Congress had permanently divided the opposition, insisting that cooperation with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remains possible before the next presidential election.
Speaking during an interview on Arise TV, Kwankwaso said he and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi left the ADC for the Nigeria Democratic Congress because of unresolved internal issues within the coalition.
“Now, we may still work together before the election,” Kwankwaso said.
“I personally, and I think even Obi himself, decided to leave ADC not because we are fighting with Atiku or anybody there.”
He added, “We decided to leave that party because we realised that there are some issues.”
Kwankwaso claimed the ADC was struggling with “three major unresolved problems” that could affect its ability to field candidates in 2027, although he did not provide details.
The comments come days after Atiku reportedly questioned Kwankwaso’s political reach, saying the former Kano governor’s popularity was largely limited to Kano State.
Kwankwaso, however, played down any rivalry between them.
“Politics is just like a game. I’m not fighting anybody and I’m not expecting anybody to fight me,” he said.
“I think we are past that level now.”
He also recalled previously working with Atiku during the 2019 presidential election.
“There was an election in 2019 in Port Harcourt.
"He won the election.
"I was his coordinator for the north.
"We worked for him,” Kwankwaso said.
Political observers and supporters of both main opposition camps say the growing divisions among opposition leaders could shape the 2027 race into a three-way contest involving President Bola Tinubu, Atiku and the Obi-Kwankwaso bloc.
