The battle for the opposition camp ahead of the 2027 presidential election took a fresh turn on Thursday as Nigeria Democratic Congress Vice-Presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to abandon his presidential ambition.
Kwankwaso, who is the running mate to NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi, made the appeal in Abuja while addressing members of the Fulani Farmers Association at his residence.
The former Kano State governor appealed to Atiku to step aside, pointing to the former vice-president’s age and health.
He also sought to reassure Atiku that his political relevance would not be threatened if he withdrew from the contest, promising that he and Obi would take care of him if the NDC wins the 2027 election.
Speaking in Hausa, Kwankwaso urged the group to approach Atiku, popularly known as the Wazirin Adamawa, and ask him to concentrate on his traditional responsibilities.
“Go to the Wazirin of Adamawa’s house and tell him in Fulani that he needs to focus on his traditional title of Wazirin, given his age and health,” he said.
Kwankwaso added that an NDC victory would not mean abandoning the former vice-president.
“If Allah grants us success, we will take good care of him, especially since you all come from Adamawa. An apology should be offered to him,” he said.
The statement is significant as the opposition prepares for what is shaping up as a competitive 2027 presidential race, with major opposition figures pursuing separate political platforms.
Atiku emerged as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress in May 2026, setting the stage for another attempt at the presidency.
The former vice-president first contested for the presidency in 1993 and has remained a major figure in Nigeria’s opposition politics.
He was the PDP presidential candidate in the 2019 election, where he lost to then-President Muhammadu Buhari.
Atiku has maintained that his latest presidential bid is aimed at rescuing the country, promising reforms centred on national unity, security, the economy, education and greater powers and resources for the federating units.
With Obi and Kwankwaso now campaigning together under the NDC, Kwankwaso’s latest appeal to Atiku signals the increasingly fierce struggle for opposition support ahead of the 2027 election.