Obidients, Kwankwasiyya launch ₦60 million fundraising campaign to buy ticket for Obi Kwankwaso presidency as supporters of former presidential candidates Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso intensify coalition talks ahead of the 2027 general elections under the Nigeria Democratic Congress platform.
The move was unveiled during the Nigeria Democratic Congress Aspirants’ Summit in Abuja, where members of the Obidient and Kwankwasiyya movements announced plans to raise ₦60 million to purchase a joint presidential nomination form for a possible Obi Kwankwaso ticket.
Organisers described the fundraising effort as a grassroots mobilisation campaign aimed at uniting opposition forces ahead of the next presidential election.
Obi contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, while Kwankwaso flew the flag of the New Nigeria Peoples Party. Their separate ambitions during the last election were widely seen as a major factor that weakened the opposition vote against the ruling party.
Political observers believe the latest development reflects growing pressure within opposition circles for a united front capable of mounting a serious challenge in 2027.
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, said the fundraising initiative was designed to show massive public support for a coalition many Nigerians believe could change the country’s political direction.
According to him, Nigerians are demanding a stronger and more organised opposition platform that can tackle worsening economic hardship, governance failures and national insecurity.
Although neither Obi nor Kwankwaso has officially declared interest in the 2027 presidential race, the growing cooperation between their support groups has already sparked intense political discussions over power sharing, regional balance and how both camps would manage competing ambitions.
Representing Obi at the summit, former Chairman of the Inter Party Advisory Council, Chief Peter Ameh, urged aspirants seeking positions under the Nigeria Democratic Congress to place national interest, competence and credibility above personal ambition.
Ameh warned that political coalitions formed only for convenience without clear ideology or direction could struggle to win the trust of Nigerians.
He also condemned the increasing wave of post election defections by politicians, arguing that such actions weaken democratic accountability and betray voters who elected candidates based on party manifestos and promises.
Coordinator of the Kwankwaso National Network, Moshood Shittu, blamed Nigeria’s current challenges on poor leadership rather than lack of resources, insisting the country needs honest and competent leaders to overcome its problems.
Concerns were also raised during the summit over how candidates would emerge within the Nigeria Democratic Congress ahead of the elections.
National Secretary of the party, Ikenna Enekweizu, assured aspirants that transparent primaries would be conducted and dismissed claims that party leaders already had a secret list of preferred candidates.
Enekweizu said every aspirant who purchases nomination forms would participate either through democratic primaries or consensus arrangements.
He also announced special concessions for women, youths and persons living with disabilities. Female aspirants and candidates between 18 and 35 years will pay only 50 percent of nomination fees, while persons living with disabilities will pay 25 percent.
Veteran politician Buba Galadima also warned opposition parties against poorly managed primaries, saying internal crises and legal battles could destroy coalition efforts before the election season fully begins.
Drawing from previous political experiences, Galadima said violent and divisive primaries often leave parties fractured and weakened, stressing that carefully negotiated consensus arrangements may be the key to preserving unity ahead of 2027.
As coalition discussions continue gaining momentum, political analysts say the coming months will determine whether the Obi Kwankwaso alliance becomes a formidable opposition force or ends as another failed coalition attempt in Nigeria’s political history.
