Published by Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Kano State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has broken his silence on the political uncertainty surrounding his future and that of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a statement released late on Saturday, 2 May 2026, Kwankwaso acknowledged that he has held consultations with the leadership of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the People’s Redemption Party (PRP) and other political platforms, while insisting that no final decision has been taken regarding his political future or that of his associates.
The former governor’s statement came after days of intense speculation that he and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi were set to dump the ADC for the NDC, following a Supreme Court judgment that returned the party’s leadership crisis to the Federal High Court for final determination. Kwankwaso dismissed the rumours as “misleading narratives”, stating that he has neither declared his intention to run for president nor endorsed any aspirant. “The ADC is yet to zone its presidential ticket or take any decision on a candidate. I have therefore neither declared any intention to run for president nor endorsed any aspirant. All speculations to the contrary are premature and unfounded,” he said.
However, his admission that he is actively exploring “wide‑ranging consultations” with the NDC, PRP and others underscores the fragility of the ADC as Nigeria’s main opposition coalition. Kwankwaso, who led a significant section of his Kwankwasiyya Movement into the ADC only two months ago, pointed directly at the legal turmoil that has engulfed the party. “The recent Supreme Court judgment, while affirming the legitimacy of the David Mark‑led National Working Committee (NWC), also remitted the matter back to the High Court. This has left the party in a precarious position,” he said.
According to the Supreme Court’s ruling of 30 April 2026, a five‑member panel vacated a Court of Appeal order that had directed parties in the ADC leadership tussle to maintain the status quo. The apex court, led by Justice Mohammed Garba, directed the David Mark‑led faction to return to the Federal High Court for the hearing and determination of the substantive suit. While the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) immediately restored Mark and Rauf Aregbesola as the party’s national chairman and secretary on its portal, the core leadership dispute remained unresolved. For Kwankwaso, the experience mirrors his exit from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), where he said externally influenced legal challenges had made his stay perilous. “We left the NNPP due to externally influenced legal problems that made our stay perilous. The ADC has now been also forced into this difficulty,” he stated.
The Kwankwasiyya Movement’s spokesman, Dr. Habibu Sale Mohammed, had earlier confirmed that Kwankwaso’s fresh realignment became necessary due to the limited time within the electoral cycle and the need to avoid being trapped in prolonged legal disputes. “We are actively exploring all lawful and strategic options available to us to neutralise any potential obstacles. These options include constructive engagements and the careful consideration of alignments with other progressive political platforms such as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), among others, strictly in the overriding interest of protecting democratic participation and ensuring that the voice of the people is not silenced,” the movement said in a separate statement.
The intensifying consultation with the NDC and PRP has set off frantic reactions within opposition circles. Reports have circulated that both Kwankwaso and Obi might formally defect to the NDC as early as Monday, 4 May 2026, with sources close to the Kwankwasiyya Movement indicating that a stakeholders’ meeting held at Kwankwaso’s Miller Road residence in Kano had endorsed the move unanimously. A senior figure in the movement, Dr. Yusuf Kofarmata, defended the potential realignment, arguing that the ADC was battling multiple legal and structural challenges that could ultimately affect its eligibility to participate in the 2027 elections.
A key factor driving Kwankwaso’s consideration of an alternative platform is the growing influence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar within the ADC. Insiders within the opposition coalition told this reporter that Atiku, who joined the ADC alongside other heavyweights such as Peter Obi, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rotimi Amaechi, is believed to be in a strong position to secure the party’s presidential ticket, raising fears among Obi and Kwankwaso’s camps that the primary process could be manipulated. “The plan is simple,” one source said. “Keep the legal crisis simmering long enough to create confusion, then use that confusion to impose a preferred outcome at the primary. Obi and Kwankwaso are not going to sit and watch that happen.”
Adding to the complexity, the Attorney‑General of the Federation has reportedly applied to a Federal High Court to deregister the ADC, a move that Kwankwaso’s statement cited as further evidence of the party’s instability. “The Attorney General of the Federation has also strangely applied to a Federal High Court to deregister the ADC,” he said. If the deregistration bid succeeds, the ADC could be barred from fielding candidates altogether, a nightmare scenario for opposition politicians who have invested heavily in the coalition.
Buba Galadima, the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the NNPP, has confirmed that Obi and Kwankwaso are set to unveil a new political platform on Monday, 4 May 2026, shifting from quiet coalition talks to a decisive political alignment. Galadima warned supporters to expect coordinated attacks following the announcement. “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. First, they will sponsor columnists. Two, they will deploy social media influencers to start attacking our candidates. For all of you who are on social media and those of you with the mighty pen, you must be prepared to respond to anything they are going to say,” he said.
While the NDC has welcomed the possibility of welcoming Obi and Kwankwaso, its leadership has been careful to avoid pre‑empting any formal declaration. The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the NDC, Abdulmumin Abdulsalam, said the defection of both leaders remained in the realm of “probability” rather than certainty. “This unequivocal clarification of the party is coming on the heels of a politically sensitive report, which some media houses are already referencing and getting sensational about in the public space,” he stated.
As the clock ticks toward the INEC deadline for party primaries, the political future of one of Nigeria’s most formidable opposition figures hangs in the balance. Kwankwaso’s statement that “any definitive position on our political direction will be communicated formally through official channels at the appropriate time” has done little to calm the speculation. For now, the Kwankwasiyya Movement remains in a waiting game, with its leader weighing whether to stay and fight inside the ADC or jump to a new platform. What is clear is that the opposition’s grand coalition against President Bola Tinubu is cracking, and the next few days could determine whether it falls apart or reinvents itself in a new form.
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