2027: NNPP Warns NDC Over Kwankwaso as Obi’s Running Mate, Predicts ‘Betrayal’

By Taibat Ummi Yakubu

The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has cautioned the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over the choice of Sen. Rabiu Kwankwaso as running mate, describing the decision as a “gross mistake” and alleging that the former NNPP presidential candidate could eventually turn against the party.

The NNPP said Kwankwaso’s strained relationship with the party following his 2023 presidential bid on its platform should serve as a lesson to the NDC as it prepares for the 2027 general elections.

The party’s National Secretary-General, Ogini Olaposi, made the position known in a statement issued on Monday, in which he questioned the wisdom behind Obi’s decision to select Kwankwaso as his running mate.

Olaposi argued that political parties should carefully examine the political history and antecedents of prospective running mates before making such critical decisions.

He alleged that Kwankwaso had benefited significantly from the NNPP’s platform during the 2023 presidential election but later became involved in disagreements with the party.

“This is why political parties must be careful of who they choose as running mates and flag bearers,” Olaposi said.

He further alleged that the NNPP provided Kwankwaso with the opportunity to contest the presidency in 2023, including what he described as a free ticket and broad support from the party.

According to him, that platform helped elevate Kwankwaso’s national political profile and contributed to his emergence as a prominent figure in negotiations ahead of the 2027 election.

“The rare opportunity NNPP gave to Kwankwaso in 2023, in addition to a free ticket, is what has brought him to the frontline of negotiations at the presidential level in Nigeria at the moment,” he said.

Olaposi accused the former Kano State governor of contributing to divisions within the NNPP after the 2023 election, alleging that the disagreement resulted in the departure of several party members.

“We will not forget in a hurry how he destroyed the party, leading to our members leaving in droves. He will betray the NDC in the same manner shortly,” he alleged.

The NNPP official also rejected claims that the party had been handed over to Kwankwaso by its founder, Dr Boniface Aniebonam.

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He described such claims as “preposterous and unthinkable”, arguing that ownership and control of a registered political party could not simply be transferred without the relevant registration documents.

“It is preposterous and unthinkable to assert that we dashed what belongs to the Board of Trustees of a registered political party out, without handing over the original certificate of registration,” he said.

Olaposi also warned that Obi’s personal popularity would not, on its own, guarantee victory for the NDC in 2027.

He said voters would also scrutinise the background and political record of the vice-presidential candidate, particularly because of the constitutional possibility of a vice-president assuming the presidency.

“One candidate in a party alone cannot guarantee victory. People will also look at the antecedents of the running mate because, in the event of any happenstance, the vice-president may become the president,” he said.

The NNPP chieftain equally played down the significance of massive crowds at political rallies, arguing that large turnouts should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of electoral support.

“Pulling rented crowds at rallies is not tantamount to votes. The same crowd will be paid to be everywhere else,” Olaposi said.

He called on Seriake Dickson, identified as the founder of the NDC, to remain vigilant and ensure that the party’s leadership and structures were adequately protected ahead of the elections.

“It is our hope that Seriake Dickson, founder of NDC, shall be on the alert and ensure that his co-founders are duly activated to protect the structure of NDC from Kwankwaso,” he said.

Meanwhile, Olaposi appealed to NNPP members who had left the party to reconsider their position and return to its fold ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The latest warning adds another layer to the growing political realignment ahead of 2027, as parties and political blocs continue to negotiate alliances, running mates and strategies for the presidential contest.