The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has issued a stern warning to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, stating that his chances for a second term in 2027 depend heavily on his willingness to grant a presidential pardon to the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

The Deputy President-General of the organization, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, emphasized that the President is currently navigating a political minefield. He noted that several powerful interest groups across the country are already strategizing to block his re-election.

According to the Ohanaeze chieftain, releasing Kanu would serve as a masterstroke to lower the political tension in the South-East and dismantle the primary tool used by the opposition to mobilize against the current administration in the region.

Isiguzoro argued that the political climate is becoming increasingly unfavorable for the President. He claimed that a diverse coalition, including northern elites, Middle Belt leaders, and influential business moguls, is quietly forming an alliance to frustrate the President’s 2027 ambitions.

To counter this, he suggested that a pardon for Kanu, ideally timed for a significant national date like June 12 or October 1, would act as a strategic reset. Beyond the issue of the IPOB leader, the Igbo leader urged President Tinubu to reconsider the recently introduced tax laws.

He warned that these policies have alienated major private-sector players who are now allegedly funding opposition movements in response to the economic pressure.

He further advised the President to focus on visible governance, such as the full implementation of the 2014 National Conference report and the accelerated completion of major infrastructure projects.

The Ohanaeze leader also proposed the creation of additional states across the six geopolitical zones as a way to broaden the President’s support base.

He concluded by noting that 2027 will not be a walkover, insisting that the President must use “strategy, courage, and timely political decisions” to survive the mounting conspiracy against his government.

The proposed alliance between the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, and a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, for a joint 2027 presidential ticket has reached an advanced stage.

Findings revealed that both Obi and Kwankwaso have jointly set up a committee for the actualisation of the joint ticket under the African Democratic Congress.

A principal official of the ADC disclosed that the Obi-Kwankwaso alliance was originally proposed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

According to the party official, Obasanjo not only blessed Obi’s defection to the ADC, he also asked the former Anambra State governor to work with Kwankwaso to secure the presidential and vice-presidential tickets of the party.

Obasanjo openly campaigned for Obi in 2023 and mobilised support for him across the country against the All Progressives Congress candidate, now President Bola Tinubu.

The former president, in an open letter dated January 1, 2023, said, “None of the contestants is a saint, but when one compares their character, antecedents, understanding, knowledge, discipline and vitality they can bring to bear, and the great effort required to stay focused on the job—particularly looking at where the country is today—and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi, as a mentee, has an edge.”

Kwankwaso, on the other hand, was appointed Minister of Defence by Obasanjo during his second term.

Meanwhile, the former president has not hidden his disapproval of the presidential ambition of his former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Currently, Atiku, Obi and a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, are the three presidential aspirants in the ADC, while efforts to get Kwankwaso to join the party are ongoing.

Before his defection to the ADC, Obi had promised to serve a single term if elected President, after which Kwankwaso declared that he was ready to serve as vice-presidential candidate.

Though Kwankwaso has yet to join the ADC, the proposed alliance between him and Obi has begun and was initiated by Obasanjo.

A top ADC source told one of our correspondents that the former president had also been connecting Obi with some northern power brokers to ensure the alliance works out.

“We’re aware of the alliance, though Kwankwaso is not in our party yet. Former President Obasanjo is the one who connected the two of them (Obi and Kwankwaso), and he is committed to their alliance.

“The former president believes in Obi and has been speaking with some northern leaders on the need for them to see reason in the alliance,” said the party official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Similarly, one of the leaders of Kwankwasiyya Movement confirmed Obasanjo’s involvement in the proposed alliance, saying the former president initiated the idea.

“The former President is involved. In fact, he mooted the idea, and we are happy to be on track,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

Obi, Kwankwaso set up alliance committee

A committee had been put in place by both Obi and Kwankwaso to galvanise support within the ADC for the proposed joint ticket.
A credible source in Obi’s camp disclosed that the committee was set up about a month ago with a mandate to strategise on how to achieve the joint ticket.

“We’re no longer at the talking stage; we have moved ahead. A committee has been set up for the alliance and things are taking shape,” the source said.

Confirming the move, the National Legal Adviser of the New Nigeria Peoples Party and a leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Magaji Ibrahim, SAN, said the former governor was ready to work with Obi either as President or Vice President.

Ibrahim, who said he was part of the committee, maintained that the proposed alliance had reached an advanced stage.

“There is ongoing discussion between Kwankwaso and Obi, and a committee is actually in place for the actualisation of the alliance. The committee is from both sides, and I am a member.

“We are ready to work together either for the first or second position. The central point is to salvage the nation,” he added.

Speaking on Kwankwaso’s move to join the ADC, Ibrahim said the party had reached out to the former Kano governor on the matter.

He disclosed that the ADC and the Kwankwasiyya Movement leaders had been holding discussions on the defection plan.

“We are discussing with them (ADC leaders) at the moment. There is a move to meet us, but we’re yet to meet,” he added.

Asked if Kwankwaso would join the ADC if not given the presidential or vice-presidential ticket, Ibrahim said, “I don’t think we can consider anything short of the second position.”

Efforts to reach the media aide to the former president, Kehinde Akinyemi, were unsuccessful, as he did not respond to calls or text messages sent to him.

However, a source in Obasanjo’s camp confirmed to our correspondent that the former president was working to ensure that the Obi–Kwankwaso alliance pulled through.

When asked to provide further details on the alleged alliance, the source declined to comment.

The Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano State has sent a strong warning to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, declaring that the political influence of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso remains untouchable. In a bold assertion, a high-ranking official of the movement claimed that any candidate endorsed by the national leader would resoundingly defeat the incumbent governor in any future contest.

Saddam Sani Umar, the Welfare Officer of the Kwankwasiyya Movement in Kano, made these remarks as the state grapples with intense political realignment. The tension follows persistent reports and movements suggesting that Governor Yusuf is finalizing plans to defect from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Umar dismissed the idea that the movement would lose its grip on Kano politics if the governor departs. He pointed to the deep-rooted loyalty of the grassroots, emphasizing that the people follow the leader, not the office. According to him, “Whoever Kwankwaso chooses, the people will turn out massively to vote for them. In Kano, if Kwankwaso chooses a dog, the people will vote for it because they trust him as a leader who stands by his people.”

The welfare officer reminded the public of the governor’s political history, noting that Yusuf’s rise was entirely engineered by Kwankwaso.

He highlighted that the governor had spent over three decades as Kwankwaso’s personal assistant before serving as a commissioner and eventually being handpicked for the state’s top job.

Moreover, Umar described any attempt to challenge Kwankwaso’s influence as “myopic,” warning that past leaders who tried to betray the movement faced political ruin.

He specifically referenced the fallout between Kwankwaso and former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, asserting that history repeats itself for those who show disloyalty.

“Betraying Kwankwaso does not end well; history proves it,” Umar stated, adding that the Kwankwasiyya ideology is larger than any individual.

The official further noted that the movement’s identity, symbolized by the iconic red cap, remains a shield for many politicians in the state.

However, he argued that even those contemplating a move to the APC are afraid to discard the symbol, as “the moment they take that cap off, they lose their political safety.”

While Governor Yusuf has reportedly been under pressure to defect to secure his 2027 ambitions, many of his key cabinet members and the Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, have recently reaffirmed their total allegiance to Kwankwaso.

Umar concluded by stating that the movement remains unshakeable and that its core supporters value loyalty over government patronage.