Recent reports and public sentiment indicate a growing push for a “Grand Opposition Coalition” to challenge the incumbent, President Bola Tinubu. There is a current state of play regarding their potential team-up Since mid-2025, Peter Obi (Labour Party), Rabiu Kwankwaso (NNPP), and Atiku Abubakar (PDP) have held multiple high-level meetings in Abuja to discuss a merger.
In late 2024 and early 2026, Kwankwaso publicly stated he is open to being a running mate (VP) or the lead candidate, provided certain “conditions are met.” This is a notable shift from 2023, when merger talks failed because neither leader was willing to take the deputy slot.
The “Obidient” vs.”Kwankwasiyya” Supporters have already begun “field testing” the idea. As recently as March 2026, crowds at rallies in Kano were heard chanting “Obi-Kwankwaso,” signaling grassroots appetite for a North-South ticket.
Political analysts and early 2027 projections suggest this team-up would be a “game-changer” for two major reasons. It combines Obi’s massive youth and urban following (South-East, South-South, Lagos) with Kwankwaso’s ironclad “Kwankwasiyya” base in Kano and the North-West.
In 2023, the opposition vote was split three ways (Obi, Atiku, and Kwankwaso). Data from 2023 polls suggests that a combined ticket might have overtaken the APC’s winning margin.
The primary challenge remains deciding who heads the ticket. While Obi secured over 6 million votes in 2023 compared to Kwankwaso’s 1.5 million, Kwankwaso’s supporters argue that a Northern lead is necessary to capture the crucial Northern electorate.
A formal merger would require the Labour Party and NNPP (and potentially the PDP) to dissolve into a new entity or form a legal coalition, which involves complex INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) regulations.
