Obasanjo Backing Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket for 2027, Says Osuntokun

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is backing a proposed presidential ticket of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general election, according to his former Political Adviser, Dr. Akin Osuntokun.

Osuntokun made the claim during an interview on ARISE News, where he dismissed reports suggesting that Obasanjo was secretly supporting President Bola Tinubu’s reported bid for a second term.

According to him, the former president has instead played a key role in bringing Obi and Kwankwaso together under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

“If you can say that Obasanjo is supporting any ticket, it is the Peter Obi–Kwankwaso ticket. As a matter of fact, he is the principal sponsor of that ticket,” Osuntokun said.

He described allegations linking Obasanjo with Tinubu’s political ambition as unfounded.

“So how do you then suggest that he is secretly working for Tinubu? It does not make sense to me. I think that claim is absolute bunkum,” he added.

Osuntokun further claimed that Obasanjo personally facilitated discussions between Obi and Kwankwaso, noting that both politicians maintain a close relationship with the former president.

“He was the one who brought the two men together. He brokered the ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso. Both of them are quite close to him,” he said.

He argued that the proposed alliance would present a stronger challenge in the 2027 presidential election than the opposition ticket in the 2023 polls, citing Obi’s nationwide appeal and Kwankwaso’s political influence, particularly in northern Nigeria.

Reflecting on events leading to the 2023 election, Osuntokun said the two politicians could have formed an alliance earlier.

“Kwankwaso could have teamed up with Obi four years ago. I remember him saying that if they had agreed then, they would probably have had an arrangement in which they would each spend one term in office,” he said.

He concluded that an Obi-Kwankwaso partnership would be “a much more realistic, more compelling ticket” capable of mounting a formidable challenge in the 2027 general election.

Neither former President Obasanjo, Peter Obi nor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso had publicly responded to Osuntokun’s claims as of the time of filing this report. The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has also not issued an official statement on the alleged endorsement.