Rabiu Kwankwaso, vice-presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has explained why he wants former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, to step aside for Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general election. Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Kwankwaso said his position was informed by their longstanding political relationship and the need for a new political arrangement. Asked whether he was insisting that Atiku should abandon his presidential ambition, Kwankwaso replied, “Well, yes.” He disclosed that he recently used a courtesy visit by a group of Fulani people from across the country as an opportunity to encourage them to speak with Atiku about stepping aside.
Kwankwaso stressed that his call was not motivated by hostility towards Atiku, whom he said he had known and worked with for decades. He traced their political relationship to 1993, when both were involved in the movement led by the late General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua and supported Atiku’s bid for the presidential ticket of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). After that effort failed, he said they also pursued the possibility of securing the vice-presidential ticket. Kwankwaso recalled their continued political engagement in 1999, when Olusegun Obasanjo emerged as the presidential candidate, and said Atiku played important roles during that period and in subsequent elections.
He also recalled that Kano voters gave substantial support to Atiku during the 2007 presidential election, despite their political differences at the time. Kwankwaso noted that Atiku contested under the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), while he was not a member of the party. He further cited their cooperation in 2011 and their participation in the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary ahead of the 2015 election, which Muhammadu Buhari won. Kwankwaso said these experiences demonstrated the length of their political association, adding that their relationship had continued across different political parties and electoral contests.
Explaining his position, Kwankwaso said he did not consider himself opposed to Atiku personally and acknowledged the contributions they had made to one another’s political journeys. He maintained that political ambitions should be considered in the context of changing circumstances and opportunities for new arrangements. His appeal comes as political actors begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general election, with the NDC presenting Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and Atiku seeking the presidency under the ADC. Kwankwaso’s comments centred on their shared political history and his view that Atiku should now make way for Obi.
