A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has ruled out the chances of a joint presidential ticket between Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The Deputy National Financial Secretary of the party’s National Working Committee, Fabiyi Oladimeji, made this position known while speaking with journalists in Abuja.
He stated that the numbers do not favour an Obi-Kwankwaso alliance based on voting patterns from the last general election.
According to him, the ADC is more confident in a different combination. He pointed to a possible alliance involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Obi as the only ticket capable of mounting a strong challenge against the APC.
Oladimeji explained that electoral data from 2023 already gives a clear picture of where the strength lies. He argued that combining the voting base of Obi and Kwankwaso alone would still fall short when compared to what is needed to unseat the current administration.
“Even Kwankwaso and Obi cannot give us the number, I am sorry to say this. The best number is Atiku and Obi,” he said.
He went further to break down the figures. He noted that the combined votes of Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso in the 2023 election were estimated between 14 and 15 million.
In comparison, the current president secured about eight million votes. For him, this shows that a broader coalition is the only realistic path to victory.
Oladimeji stressed that the focus should not be on individual ambition but on building a united front. He said leading political figures have already shown willingness to support a consensus candidate if necessary.
“Atiku has said he will support whoever emerges. Amaechi has said the same thing. We are expecting Peter Obi to also make that commitment because this is not about personal ambition; it is about rescuing the country,” he added.