2027 Election: New Twist as Kwankwaso Projected to Betray Peter Obi
- Ahead of the 2027 elections, NNPP's National Secretary-General described the choice of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as Peter Gregory Obi's running mate as a 'gross mistake'
- The party alleged that Senator Kwankwaso damaged the NNPP after it gave him a free presidential ticket in 2023
- NNPP warned the Seriake Dickson-led NDC that Kwankwaso would repeat the same pattern of betrayal within their ranks
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja - The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has cautioned the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, against working with Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso as running mate, warning that the party risks suffering the same fate as the NNPP did after the 2023 general elections.
As reported by Vanguard, the NNPP's National Secretary-General, Ogini Olaposi, issued the warning in a statement on Monday, September 7, calling the reported choice of Kwankwaso a "gross mistake" and urging the NDC to study his political record before committing to the decision.
Source: Twitter
NNPP's grievance against Kwankwaso
Olaposi said the NNPP provided Kwankwaso with a presidential platform and a free ticket in 2023, arguing that this backing was what brought him back into national political relevance. He alleged that Kwankwaso subsequently worked against the party, triggering an internal crisis that led to members leaving in large numbers.
Olaposi said, according to The Nation:
"Kwankwaso dragged a party that brought him to the limelight in the presidential contest, freely gave him a platform and did all it could to support him, and now thinks he is free from the wrath of God? Once a betrayer, always a betrayer, and posterity will prove us right."
He also rejected reports that the party's factional founder, Boniface Aniebonam, had handed the party over to Kwankwaso, describing such claims as "preposterous and unthinkable."
NNPP questions NDC's electoral strategy
Beyond the personal warning about Kwankwaso, Olaposi challenged the NDC's broader assumption that Obi's popularity alone would be enough to win the 2027 presidential election. He argued that voters assess running mates with the same scrutiny as the main candidate, given that a vice-president can ascend to the presidency.
"One candidate in a party alone cannot guarantee victory. People will also look at the antecedents of the running mate because, in the event of any happenstance, the vice-president may become the president. Nigerians know this and the NDC will understand it at the polls," he said.
Source: Facebook
Olaposi also dismissed large turnouts at political rallies as a reliable measure of electoral strength, saying that crowd sizes were often inflated and did not translate into actual votes on election day.
He directed a specific appeal to Seriake Dickson, founder of the NDC, urging him to remain alert and ensure that the party's founding structure was shielded from what the NNPP described as Kwankwaso's influence. He also called on NNPP members who had left the party to return ahead of the 2027 polls.
Peter Obi resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on May 2, 2026, and was ratified as the NDC's presidential candidate on May 29, 2026.
Read more on Kwankwaso
- After Kwankwaso's party at Sanusi's palace, Bayero set to host wedding: "State vs federal wedding"
- Kwankwaso raises alarm over alleged attempt by Lagos to colonise Kano, north, video trends
- Kwankwaso sends message to Tinubu, others as Atiku, several prominent Nigerians meet him in Kano
Kwankwaso sad over death of Jigawa politician
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Senator Kwankwaso expressed sadness over the demise of Mallam Mukhtari Ibrahim Gagarawa, a political leader in Jigawa state.
Kwankwaso extended his "deepest condolences" to his associates in the northwest state.
The late Gagarawa was a former chairman of Gagarawa Local Government Area (LGA).
Source: Legit.ng
