‘We Won’t Step Down for Atiku’ — Kwankwaso Fires Back at ADC
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, the vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has rejected claims that his party’s presidential ticket may withdraw from the 2027 election in favour of the African…
Ahead of the 2027 general election, Nigeria's opposition landscape has been marked by talks of coalition-building aimed at presenting a united front against the ruling party, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) emerging as a platform courting prominent politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former Kano State governor and senator with a strong political base in the North-West, has his own political vehicle, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and has previously run for president. His exchange with the ADC reflects long-standing friction among opposition figures over who should lead a joint ticket, a recurring sticking point that has complicated past attempts at opposition unity in Nigeria.
The reports agree that Kwankwaso, as the NDC's vice-presidential candidate, has publicly rejected any suggestion that his ticket would step aside for Atiku or the ADC, with Premium Times noting he made the remarks in a Facebook statement accusing the ADC's presidential campaign council of mischievous smear campaigns to mislead voters. None of the accounts detail the specific claims or reports that prompted Kwankwaso's rebuttal, nor do they clarify the current state of coalition talks between the NDC and ADC or other opposition parties ahead of 2027.