BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council has criticised Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso over his call for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race in favour of Peter Obi, describing the intervention as reckless and politically motivated.

The ADC, which has adopted Atiku as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election, accused the former Kano State governor of creating divisions within the opposition rather than focusing on challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement issued on Friday, the council’s Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that Kwankwaso’s position was designed to advance Tinubu’s political interests ahead of the election.

Ologbondiyan’s reaction followed Kwankwaso’s interview on Channels Television, during which the former Kano governor called on Atiku to step aside for Obi, who is associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

The ADC spokesman questioned why Kwankwaso, who is now aligned with Obi and the NDC, would direct his attention towards another opposition presidential hopeful instead of concentrating on efforts to dislodge the incumbent administration.

He argued that the opposition should be working towards building a stronger political front rather than engaging in disagreements over who should contest the presidency.

“Rather than campaigning against President Tinubu, whose administration Nigerians are eagerly working to vote out, Kwankwaso is fixated on Atiku Abubakar, the ADC candidate,” Ologbondiyan said.

He maintained that the economic difficulties facing Nigerians, including rising hardship, hunger, poverty and insecurity, would play a significant role in shaping voters’ decisions in 2027.

The ADC campaign council also dismissed the suggestion that Kwankwaso’s support would be decisive in determining Atiku’s performance in Kano State, his political stronghold.

According to Ologbondiyan, the outcome of previous presidential elections showed that candidates could secure substantial support in Kano without Kwankwaso’s backing. He cited the 2003 and 2007 elections, arguing that former President Muhammadu Buhari won in the state despite not relying on Kwankwaso’s support.

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He insisted that Atiku’s campaign would not depend solely on the former Kano governor’s political influence, although the actual outcome of the 2027 election remains to be determined by voters.

The ADC spokesman further questioned Kwankwaso’s long-term political calculations, alleging that his intervention was driven less by a desire to strengthen Obi’s chances than by ambitions surrounding the 2031 presidential election.

Ologbondiyan also referred to Kwankwaso’s reported description of the office of the vice-president as a “spare tyre”, suggesting that the senator was more interested in positioning himself for future political negotiations than addressing the country’s immediate challenges.

He accused Kwankwaso of engaging in political manoeuvres that, in the ADC’s view, could weaken opposition unity and benefit the ruling party.

“What Kwankwaso is doing amounts to advancing President Tinubu’s interests,” Ologbondiyan alleged, adding that Nigerians would not be distracted by what he described as attempts to create confusion among opposition parties.

The latest exchange highlights the growing disagreement among opposition political figures over the choice of presidential candidates and the strategy for challenging Tinubu in 2027.

With Atiku contesting under the ADC banner and Obi linked to the NDC, Kwankwaso’s call for Atiku to step aside has opened another front in the debate over opposition leadership, political alliances and the possibility of a more united challenge to the ruling APC.

However, the allegations against Kwankwaso reflect the ADC campaign council’s position, and the statement does not establish that he is acting on behalf of Tinubu or the APC.