Obi, Kwankwaso Finally Settles for Dickson’s Nigeria Democratic Congress as Party Confirms Membership

After weeks of intense speculation and political manoeuvring, opposition leaders Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso have formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), finalising their departure from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and positioning the party as a major opposition platform ahead of the 2027 elections.

The two politicians were officially registered as members of the NDC on Sunday at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, where they were issued membership cards, signalling their formal entry into the party . Footage from the event showed Kwankwaso receiving his membership card first, followed by Obi, as party officials and supporters witnessed the process.

The development followed a closed-door meeting held just hours earlier between the two leaders and top figures of the NDC, including the party’s National Leader and former Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, at his residence in Guzape, Abuja . Obi and Kwankwaso arrived at the meeting venue at about 5:18 p.m., where they were received by a crowd of enthusiastic supporters under the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, chanting “O-K is okay” as the leaders made their way into the premises . Kwankwaso was dressed in a white babanriga complemented by his trademark red-and-white Kwankwasiyya cap, while Obi appeared in an all-black kaftan with a matching cap.

Speaking after the meeting, Senator Dickson described the two opposition figures as “very suitable suitors” . Kwankwaso called on Nigerians to rally behind the NDC, saying, “I would like to invite all Nigerians, especially those who are interested in contesting for elections in this party, to register as soon as possible,” after confirming that the party would submit its register on May 6 . Obi, on his part, praised his and Kwankwaso’s antecedents in investing in education and people when they were governors of Anambra and Kano, respectively, and promised that they would do more if elected to national public offices. He said, “We are coming to build a united, secure, prosperous Nigeria that will work for everybody”.

Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Buba Galadima, had earlier disclosed that the announcement was imminent. At a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement in Abuja on Saturday, Galadima said, “Both Obi, Kwankwaso and their chieftains were on ground between yesterday and this morning signing the relevant documents with Senator Dickson and the NDC leaders. We don’t want a repeat of what happened in the ADC. We discovered late that Atiku and his loyalists lured our leaders to that opposition party to fulfil only one single mission – Atiku’s presidential ambition. All is now set. Both Obi and Kwankwaso will announce their defection from the ADC on Monday”.

The move comes after Obi officially announced his resignation from the African Democratic Congress, citing internal challenges, while Kwankwaso had earlier revealed that he was engaged in “wide-ranging consultations” with the NDC . The defection follows tensions between their camps and that of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is widely seen as a favourite to secure the ADC’s presidential ticket for 2027.

In a related development on Sunday, Obi and Kwankwaso also met with Dickson and other NDC leaders at the former governor’s residence in Abuja ahead of their formal registration . Although the agenda of that meeting was not officially disclosed, sources said the discussions were part of ongoing political consultations and alliance-building efforts ahead of 2027 . Party sources described the move as a growing wave of confidence in the NDC, positioning it as an emerging platform for opposition collaboration ahead of the next election cycle.

The two are expected to run as the NDC’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the 2027 General Election . The development underscores intensifying political manoeuvring among opposition figures as preparations for the 2027 elections gather momentum.