Fact-Check:  No Evidence Kwankwaso Agreed to Be Obi’s 2027 Running Mate

Claim: A group on X, @PO_GrassRootM shared a post claiming that Kwankwaso has agreed to be the running mate to Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election.

Verdict: Misleading

Full Story:
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, formally joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in March 2026 and has signalled his intention to contest the 2027 presidential race.

Around the same period, Obi visited Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, a former governor of Kano State, who also defected from the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) to the ADC shortly after hosting Obi. The visit and the warm reception he received in Kano fuelled speculation about a possible political alliance between the two ahead of the 2027 election.

Both Obi and Kwankwaso ran separately in the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party and NNPP, respectively, jointly securing over 7.5 million votes. This has strengthened calls among their supporters for a potential joint ticket in the next election cycle.

Other politicians who have indicated interest in contesting the ADC presidential ticket include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.

On April 17, 2026, a viral social media post claimed that Kwankwaso had agreed to serve as Obi’s running mate, arguing that the duo enjoys stronger grassroots support than Atiku.

As of April 18, 2026, the post has gained traction, with 11 thousand views, 347 reposts, and more than one million likes. Incidentally, the post has polarised the supporters of Peter Obi and Atiku on social media, with one supporting Obi/Kwankwaso against Atiku, while others felt the joint ticket would be a costly mistake for the party.

NDRFactcheck found the claim also published on Facebook here, YouTube, and X.

But has Kwankwaso truly agreed to be Peter Obi’s running mate as alleged? NDRFactcheck investigated it.

See the screenshot of the claim below:

Verification:
Findings show that the claim stems from a YouTube interview granted by Ibrahim Abdulkarim, an associate of Peter Obi, to Trust TV. In the interview, Abdulkarim failed to provide concrete evidence, relying instead on speculation and claims that supporters of both politicians were already aware of such an arrangement.

Similarly, comments attributed to a spokesperson of the Kwankwasiyya movement, Hon. Habib Mailemo, suggested openness to a coalition but did not confirm any running mate agreement, insisting that Hon. Musa Kwankwaso “has made it very clear that we are going into the coalition.”

Earlier remarks by Yunusa Tanko, a former Obi campaign spokesperson, indicated that the idea of an Obi–Kwankwaso ticket was gaining popularity among supporters.

However, this reflects public sentiment rather than an official decision.

Media analysis, including commentary by ARISE TV analyst Sumner Sambo, has also speculated on the possibility of such an alliance, but these views remain analytical and not authoritative.

Notably, similar claims have previously been debunked, including a January 2026 video in which Kwankwaso’s remarks were taken out of context.

Ahead of the 2023 elections, reports of an Obi–Kwankwaso alliance were also denied by the NNPP. In fact, Rabiu Kwankwaso said he could not serve as Peter Obi’s running mate then because he was more qualified and older than Obi. It doesn’t appear that anything has changed in the qualification status of either Kwankwaso or Obi since then.

Selection of Presidential Candidate

The 2026 Electoral Act prescribes either consensus or direct primaries as a mode of selecting candidates for elective offices. A person must first emerge as a presidential candidate before having a voice in who emerges as a running mate. The ADC has an end-of-May deadline to select its candidate. It is, therefore, preposterous to talk about a candidate and his running mate at this point.

Conclusion:
While there are ongoing consultations among the candidates and a growing speculation about a possible alliance between Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for the 2027 presidential election, there is no official confirmation that Kwankwaso has agreed to be Obi’s running mate.

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