Important member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji (Dr) Ilyasu Musa Kwankwaso, said in a blunt way that the rumoured political alliance between Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) before the 2027 elections would not work out. In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, Kwankwaso said that the possible alliance would not work because of the three people’s past political situations and their own personal goals.
There is talk that these three well-known politicians, each with a large following, might work together to run against the APC in the next general election, which is when Kwankwaso made his forecast. A group attempt by Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso has sparked a lot of interest, with some seeing it as a strong challenge to the current government. Kwankwaso, on the other hand, says that such a union is not likely to work because their political positions and goals are very different.
Kwankwaso says that Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso’s political past is full of disagreements and rivalries that make it hard for them to work together for a long time. Atiku, who used to be Vice President, has run for president several times without winning, which has made people wonder what he will do next. Obi, who got a lot of support in the 2023 elections, is seen as a rising star, but his political views might not match up well with those of his possible partners. Kwankwaso, who ran for office again in 2023, has a strong following in the area but hasn’t yet shown that he can win over a lot of people across the country. Kwankwaso says these things are going to make it harder to form a real alliance.
Kwankwaso also said that it was likely that the personal goals of each politician would be more important than any group goal. He said that each of these leaders wants to be president, which makes it hard for them to agree on a single candidate. According to the APC leader, any effort to form a coalition would probably fail because of different political goals and competing egos.
Kwankwaso also talked about politics in general, saying that the APC is still strong and likely to stay in power in 2027. He said that the party’s ability to work together and plan strategically were two main reasons why it would be hard for any opposition group to take them down. Kwankwaso’s comments seem to play down the danger of any possible coalition of opposition parties. This reinforces the idea that the APC is the most powerful political party in Nigeria.
The thought of an alliance between Atiku, Obi, and Kwankwaso has been talked about and speculated on a lot, but Kwankwaso’s criticism shows a larger doubt about its viability. The APC leader’s comments show how hard it is to bring together different political leaders who have strong personal goals and different political histories. As the elections for 2027 get closer, it will be interesting to see if these possible partners can work out their differences or if, as Kwankwaso says, their plans will fail to come together.