An exodus of key party members is about to hit the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), which is already hard pressed by ongoing litigation over its leadership
Presidential aspirants Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso as well as their supporters are on their way out of the party just weeks after registering as members of the ADC. Lawmakers who defected to the ADC from Kwankwaso’s former party NNPP are expected to announce their resignations from the party.
Their next destination is likely to be the Seriake Dickson-led Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), and the move may be formalised as early as tomorrow, according to Buba Galadima, an ally of Kwankwaso.
The NDC itself was non-committal in its response to inquiries about the development, although it said yesterday that its doors remained open to politicians across party lines who shared its ideology and vision.
Galadima told participants at a unity summit of the Obi-Kwankwaso (OK) Movement in Abuja yesterday that Obi and Kwankwaso will announce their new party where they would pursue their ambition tomorrow.
He cited the crisis in the ADC as their reason for leaving.
On Friday, Kwankwaso had asked his supporters to resign from the ADC ahead of his own planned defection.
He joined the ADC on March 30, 2026 while Obi registered as a member on March 7.
Galadima, at the Abuja summit yesterday, asked supporters of Obi and Kwankwaso to be prepared for whatever critics throw at them on social media on account of the impending realignment.
His words: “As from Monday when our leaders declare on which platform they will run, I want to tell you that one of two things will happen, and I’m here to guide you about your response to what will happen.
“First they will sponsor columnists who they will deploy social media influencers to start attacking our candidates.
“For all of you in the social media and in the media, you must be prepared to respond to anything they are going to say.
“Respond to anything they will say against our leaders who we know are people of integrity and honour.
“We must respond to them with the ferociousness that is needed of an intelligent man…
“We must be prepared to be in the trenches to safeguard our freedom.
“Let no one deceive you that it is going to be an easy task and that during elections go to the collation centres if you are voting.”
Another associate of Kwankwaso, Ladipo Johnson, told The Nation in Abuja that “we are certainly going to formally declare for our new political party on Monday or Tuesday.”
Spokesman of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr. Habibu Sale Mohammed, said in Kano that Kwankwaso has ceased to be a member of ADC and will be formally received into the NDC soon
Mohammed said Kwankwaso took the decision after a stakeholders’ meeting in Kano on Friday, attended by members of the NDC and the Peoples Redemption Party.
The meeting resolved that the NDC should serve as the new platform.
“At the meeting, we discussed the litigation affecting the ADC.
“With only eight days left for the submission of parties’ membership registers to INEC, stakeholders concluded there was no hope that the ADC would survive the onslaught against it. We had to jump ship,” Mohammed said.
According to him, the arrangement will see the NDC field Peter Obi as its presidential candidate for 2027, with Kwankwaso as running mate.
The NDC is also expected to hold its national convention in Abuja this week. Afterward, the Obidients and Kwankwasiyya structures will return to states and local government areas to mobilise ahead of the polls.
He also confirmed that key Kwankwasiyya figures have already exited the ADC.
“All Kwankwasiyya followers, including Yusuf Gawuna and Aminu Gwarzo who resigned as Kano State Deputy Governor, have left the ADC.
“They are to follow the leader (Kwankwaso) to any political party he goes to,” he said.
“The decision to join the NDC is to avoid the legal trap that could prevent Obi and Kwankwaso from contesting the 2027 presidential poll.
“This ensures Nigerians have an array of candidates to choose from, rather than a single compulsory candidate,” he said.
Obidient Movement urges calm, says Obi in ‘strategic consultations’ for 2026
The Obidient Movement said yesterday that Peter Obi was still in consultations with stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group, in a statement, called for calm among supporters, saying the consultations for Obi’s 2027 bid centred on getting the best for Nigerians.
Obi, it said, is currently engaged in extensive, high-level consultations with key stakeholders, political allies, and aligned movements.
It added: ““These engagements are focused on determining the most strategic and effective path forward in the best interest of the Nigerian people and our shared mission to build a New Nigeria.”
NDC: Our door is open to all
Deputy National Publicity Secretary of NDC, Abdulmumin Ohiare Abdulsalam, denied media reports that quoted him as lending credence to the possible defection of Kwankwaso and Obi to the party.
The spokesman explained that his earlier remarks were made within the context of political possibilities and ongoing consultations among opposition leaders.
But he said the party remains open to politicians across party lines who shared its ideology and vision.
“Ab initio, our party has been calling on both the ruling and opposition politicians to join what we call the ‘Noah’s Ark’ being floated by the National Leader of the party, especially considering the unique ideologies and policy pillars upon which the NDC was built,” he said.