Barely 72 hours after former Governor of Kano state, Rabiu Kwankwaso joined the National Democratic Congress, NDC the local chapter of the party in his state is tied up in a battle with him regarding the control of the party’s structure.
From all indications, the dispute has the potential to test the former Minister of Defence resolve to wield the party together ahead the 2027 general election, particularly as he positions himself to serve as running mate with Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra state for the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso and Obi had on Sunday defected to the NDC from the African Democratic Congress, ADC to pursue their presidential ambition.
After joining the NDC on Sunday, the former governor had expected the party’s structure in the state to be handed over to him, according to sources in the state, but that’s not the case as the State Chairman of NDC, Usaini Isa Mai Riga has refused to do so, warning that any attempt to remove him and his officials from their current positions as State Excos will be legally resisted.
The NDC state Chairman said negotiations to integrate Kwankwaso and his supporters into the party has broken down because the former governor, he alleged, is trying to hijack the entire party structure from those he met in the party.
Riga said this will not be allowed to happen, saying the leadership of the party in the state had work so hard for the party to become prominent, and will not allow Kwankwaso, who’s a new member to take it from them.
According to him, the State Chapter will also resist the attempt by the National Body of the party to foist Kwankwanso on it as he was not there while they were building the party, and when NDC had “little of no presence” in the state.
“He (Kwankwaso) wants us to hand over the entire party to him, despite the sacrifices we made when the party had little or no presence
“This will not happen. We will pursue all lawful avenues to ensure that the party structure is not hijacked.
“We were instructed not to hold the congress because of plans to hand over the structure. That is why I am not at the venue today. We will not allow the rights of our members to be trampled upon,” Riga said.
The Founder of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP Boniface Aniebonam says the party will adopt consensus in deciding its candidates for the 2027 general elections.
Aniebonam, who is also the Chairman, Board of Trustees of the party said the NNPP has pardoned all expelled members and would re-admit them into its fold.
He made this known in a statement in Lagos on Tuesday.
According to him, it is an established fact that some primary elections in Nigeria have denied very credible candidates from participating in the general elections to test their popularity.
“We shall avoid this scenario in accordance with our resolutions during our last convention in Lagos to adopt the principles of consensus candidates to bring out our best candidates rather than money politics .
“Under the circumstances, Nigerians who are committed to the ideals of a new Nigeria, who may not want to waste their resources on primary elections and has the capacity to undertake effective campaign for the general election should come forward.
“In-particular are the women who shall enjoy free nomination fee shall pay only administrative cost as a commitment and loyalty to the NNPP.
” Aside from our elected members in their various states that are entitled to automatic tickets, the tickets for presidential and other elective positions are open for contest but the best person will be picked via consensus.” Aniebonam stated.
According to the NNPP founder, the party in its last convention in Lagos, promised automatic tickets for all its elected members in the executive positions and legislative arms of government for the 2027 general elections.
“The party have not shifted its position on that despite the misdemeanours of some members ,” Aniebonam stated.
Speaking on the pardon for suspended members, the NNPP founder recalled that in the wake of internal wranglings and litigations that hit the party, it expelled some members for anti party activities.
“By virtue of the inherent powers conferred upon me by the NNPP constitution as the founder and chairman, board of trustees in council, I hereby declare a general pardon for all members who have acted unconstitutionally due to the unmerited influence of certain individuals in the past.
“It is constitutional for the founder and chairman, board of trustees of NNPP to call any member of the party in contravention of its constitutional provisions to order.
“Accordingly, all members of our great party who were deceived by the defunct National Working Committee (NWC) are at liberty to return to the family.
“However, all concerned shall report to the NWC under Dr Agbo Major to pledge allegiance and loyalty to the party going forward.”
He pointed out that under the circumstances, those , who might have defected to other parties due to the escalated court cases could still return immediately to beat the time limit of the new Electoral Act and Electoral Guidelines released by INEC.
“It shall be the duty of the leadership of the Screening Committee in consultation with the National Chairman and Secretary General of the party to give their consent before an acceptance is granted to expelled members. This is to ensure safety and peace of the happy family
“The founder and chairman, board of trustees shall continue to oversee and supervise the proper administration and management of our party in accordance with the judgment of the Appeal Court, Owerri.
“Politicians, who want to participate in our journey for a new Nigeria of our dreams are equally invited to join within the time frame.
The Board urges members not to be worried about the delay of INEC to upload our elected NWC members and the original logo to the national server of INEC.
The order of the court stands to upload our NWC members is extant and supreme
He urged incoming members to ensure proper resignation from whichever party they might have registered for so as not to run foul of the Electoral act, which does not permit dual membership of political parties.
“All new members must ensure that their resignation are properly documented and withdrawn both manually and electronically.” he added.
Presidential hopeful Peter Obi will not get the support of northern voters in the 2027 election, according to Datti Baba-Ahmed, who served as his running mate during the 2023 presidential election.
Baba-Ahmed made this remark during a recent media interview, insisting that he still maintains a cordial relationship with the former Anambra state governor despite his opinion over his presidential ambition.
The 2023 running mate to Obi former under the Labour Party, LP also made the comment after the former Anambra helmsman joined the National Democratic Congress, NDC from the African Democratic Congress, ADC to pursue his next year’s presidential bid.
The magazine reports that Obi defected alongside a former governor of Kano state, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who’s said to be plotting a joint presidential ticket with the former LP presidential candidate for next year’s election.
The duo now goes with the campaign sobriquet “OK” meaning Obi and Kwankwanso, amidt suggestions by some political analysts that the joint ticket, if well pursued, has the potential to upset the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu apple’s cart in the 2027 presidential election.
The postulations, according to these analysts is that Obi is capable of pulling massive votes from the South with the expectation that Kwankwaso will bring huge votes from the north, enough to defeat the incumbent.
But Baba-Ahmed disagreed, as, according to him, the expectation that the north will support Obi in 2027, may just be a mirage.
The former LP running mate to Obi, however, welcome the idea of a joint ticket of Obi and Kwankwaso, saying he had been advising the former Anambra governor to reach out to the former Kano governor or Nasir El Rufai, a former Governor of Kaduna state to form a joint presidential ticket.
“It is very unlikely that the North will rally around OK. That is my personal opinion,”
After weeks of consultations by Party stakeholders, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, has been chosen, by consensus as the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governorship Candidate, Benue State for the 2027 elections.
To so emerge, 10 other aspirants stepped down for
him and endorsed his candidacy.
Stakeholders who played key roles in the process which threw him up include a former Benue governor, Samuel Ortom, Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, PDP State Chairman, Ezekiel Adaji, members of the State Executive Committee, PDP State Assembly caucus, and blocs of consequence like the G-14 and G-9.
Aondoakaa was the Attorney General and Minister of Justice under late President Umaru Yar’dua’s Government.
Deemed by many to be blunt and controversial, he was fired by President Goodluck Jonathan who succeeded Yar’dua after his passing.
Presently, he is thought to be an ally of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and, allegedly, thrown up by Akume loyalists to challenge Governor Hyacinth Alia whose relationship with the SGF has been untidy.
However, it emerged on Monday that some semblance of peace and reconciliation have been knocked together between the two. How that reconciliation will affect the Governorship election in 2027, especially, with Aondoakaa’s emergence as PDP Candidate, is being highly anticipated by many.
For, allegedly, laundering the sum of about N8 billion, Tunde Ayeni, a former chairman of the defunct Skye Bank Plc, was on Monday, remanded at Kuje correctional centre Abuja.
He will remain there until May 13 when his application for bail will be heard.
The businessman was arraigned on Monday at an Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High court on a 17-count charge
filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
EFCC’s Counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, asked the court for a date for tye commencement of trial after the plea was taken. He, also, asked
the court to remand Ayeni in custody pending the date of trial.
But Ahmed Raji, SAN, counsel to Ayeni, pointed out that the defence filed for bail application today and served the prosecution and
urged the court for a short adjournment to hear the bail application.
The charge sheet, he said, was served on the defence on April 23, 2026, which was a public holiday.
He appealed for the release of his Client to him and Olalekan Ojo, SAN, and promised that he will be available in the next adjourned date.
But the trial Judge, Jude Onwuegbuzie, adjourned the hearing on the bail application to May 13 and ordered that Ayeni be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre until then.
The EFCC arrested Ayeni in Abuja on April 24 for investigations into the alleged diversion and misappropriation of funds estimated at N36.5 billion and $30 million. The huge sums were allegedly obtained from Polaris Bank Plc through companies associated with him.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has been running smoothly since its registration as a political party by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. There has been no crisis. Nobody has threatened to drag it to Court. It has had a clean slate – which was one of the attractions to it by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, particularly Obi.
Obi has seen troubles and crisis thrown the way of any party he showed more than a passing interest in. It happened in Labour Party which faced unending Court cases and almost got barred from participating in the upcoming 2027 Elections. The Party was suddenly given a breathing space to participate as soon as Obi exited from it for the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The ADC suddenly erupted in crisis as soon as Obi and other politicians of consequence set their feet and gave it life. Court actions suddenly sprang up from left, right and centre, threatening the Party’s participation in the 2027 election.
Sensing danger, Obi and Kwankwaso quietly quit ADC and found refuge in the NDC. Their entry gave life to the Party. It was like wildfire. While not a few were still celebrating, and singing freedom at last, trouble is suddenly rearing its head.
Dr Umar Ardo
It began with the sudden allegation that NDC’s National Legal Adviser, Reuben Egwuaba, did not resign from the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and so has committed the offence of dual registration. That was swiftly debunked by INEC which, in a statement, cleared him of any dual registration.
But another trouble has surfaced, this time from one Umar Ardo, a founding member of a yet-to-be registered political association, All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
In an interview, Ardo has let it be known that ADA will appeal the judgment of the Federal High Court Lokoja which ordered INEC to register the NDC.
ADA was one of the eight pre-qualified associations cleared by INEC in October 2025 for party registrations. The eight of them had uploaded all required information and documentation on INEC’s website.
But on February 5, 2026, INEC announced that “only two” out of the eight “qualified for final assessment and verification of due compliance with the constitution and the Electoral Act”.
NDC, which was not one of the eight was also registered by INEC, following the order of the Federal High Court in Lokoja.
According to INEC: “The Federal High Court sitting in Lokoja, Kogi state, in suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025 between Barr Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC ordered the Commission to register Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) as a political party”
“The Commission has decided to comply with the order, and it is being registered as a political party. Certificate of registration will be handed over to the two new political parties in due course.”
But in an interview on Trust TV, Ardo alleged that “INEC deviated from its procedures in the registration of NDC, claiming
that NDC was never part of the 2025 screening process. So, he is now asking INEC to explain why it registered the party through a Court order when it did not apply for official registration.
In another interview with DCL Hausa posted on YouTube Monday, Ardo let it be known that ADA would file an appeal against the Lokoja ruling. His allegation is that the process leading to NDC’s registration “was politically influenced”.
His words: “We are filing an appeal. During the proceedings in Lokoja, the NDC failed to present any supporting evidence they did not submit their Constitution, the Electoral Act, or any documentation compliant with INEC guidelines. Despite this total lack of evidence, the Judge issued a directive for their registration.
“While the jud2ge and I share the same hometown of Jada in Adamawa State, he resided there while the current NDC leader served as Governor. He was subsequently transferred to Lokoja, where the NDC followed him to file this case. We believe this connection influenced the judgment.
“ADA will appeal on the ground of interests.
“We have met every legal requirement and have spent nearly N200 million establishing offices in every state, yet our case has languished for five months without a ruling. In contrast, the NDC’s case was resolved in just 32 days.
“The NDC never submitted a formal application, was not shortlisted, and failed to join the INEC registration portal. Furthermore, they did not submit the required legal documents mandated by INEC guidelines, such as a constitution, a manifesto, or a list of executive members.
“Despite failing to meet any of these requirements or even applying, they claim the court ordered their registration.
“We cannot accept this; it is completely unjust that those of us who followed every rule and met every requirement are treated the same as those who did nothing. This level of corruption is unacceptable.”
Will this appeal by Ardo and ADA fly? And, if it does, what will be the fate of NDC, and by extension, Obi and Kwankwaso?
Rivers State kingmaker, power broker, and unarguably, the most influential politician in the South-south, and as not a few people have argued, second only to President Bola Tinubu nationally, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has found a replacement for his estranged political godson, Governor Siminalayi Fubara in 2027.
Reports from Porthacourt, Rivers State, indicate that Wike, who is the leader of both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, his Party, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, the Party under which he is serving at the Federal level, has endorsed a former Commissioner for Works in the State, Alabo Dakorinama George Kelly, as his preferred candidate for the Rivers State governorship.
He is expected to run under the APC, a direct challenge to Fubara who is yet to indicate whether he is seeking a reelection or not even though some stakeholders, a couple of days ago, purchased both the expression of interest and nomination forms for him to contest under his party, the APC.
It is to be noted, however, that the national body of the APC, has not publicly welcomed Fubara into the APC since his defection from the PDP to the APC, a courtesy extended to his other colleagues, even those who defected after him.
Nyesom Wike
With Wike’s endorsement of Kelly as the preferred APC Candidate, it is to be taken for granted that Fubara has been denied a second term under the APC as Wike has said that all candidates in the State, who he will support, are to run under the Rainbow Coalition – a coalition with members from both the APC and PDP.
Kelly was picked by Wike after an alleged closed-door meeting in Port Harcourt with key stakeholders on Monday.
He had served as Commissioner for Works. He is also identified as a loyalist within Wike’s political structure.
Instructively, another very staunch Wike loyalist, Honourable Kingsley Chinda, Member, House of Representatives, also, a couple of days ago, picked the Governorship forms to run under the PDP.
Insiders say there is no way Chinda would pick the Governorship form without Wike’s endorsement.
Political watchers are of the opinion that by encouraging two of his loyalists to pick the Governorship forms of the PDP and APC, Wike has made sure that there will be no space for Fubara in 2027.
Hundreds of aggrieved Nigerians, including party supporters, on Monday May 4, 2026, stormed the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, to register their displeasure with a motion aimed at deregistering some political parties, including the opposition Coalition platform the African Democratic Congress.
The Source reports that the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister for Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, in a move that has jolted not a few, a couple weeks ago, filed an application seeking to compel the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to deregister about five political parties, including Accord and ADC, citing their inability to meet the election victory threshold as a major reason for his action.
The shocking litigation from the AGF was cited by Peter Obi as part of the reasons for his sudden exit from the ADC on Sunday, as there is palpable apprehension that going by the alleged capture of the Judiciary, the case might be used to truncate the ADC’s bid to field candidates in 2027.
The protesters armed with placards of different inscriptions warned against any further attempts to use the Judiciary to hound and stifle opposition parties.
Leader of the protesters, Banki Sharrif, especially cautioned the judiciary against being used to exclude credible opposition parties and candidates from the polls .
This is as he called on President Bola Tinubu, his cronies and the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, to apply the break on their alleged orchestrated plots designed to stifle opposition voices in the country.
He expressed serious concern over what he described as a growing threat to the survival of democratic institutions and democracy itself, accusing the Government of greatly undermining critical democratic institutions including the judiciary and INEC.
According to Sharrif, Government’s persistent attempts at shutting out the opposition is an indirect admission of its failure to deliver and earn the confidence and trust of the electorate.
The leader of the protesters warned the AGF against lending his office to partisan politics. According to Sharrif, the office of the AGF is supposed to maintain neutrality and abstain from active partisan politics.
They, however, regretted that the present occupier of the office has plunged it deeply into politics, with his current litigation in pursuit of the deregistration of some opposition parties as a clear testimonial to his partisan posture.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immediately cease all forms of interference over or covert, in the judiciary.
“Courts must never be reduced to instruments of political manipulations. The moment justice is manipulated, the nation itself is placed on trial”.
“A Government that seeks to weaken opposition betrays a lack of confidence in its own legitimacy. Democracy thrives on competition. Suppressing it is not strength; it is fear.
“Elections without a credible opposition are nothing more than staged exercises. Democracy demands fairness, openness and equal opportunities for all political actors.
“The office of the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, must remain firmly anchored on neutrality and the rule of law.
“It must not be weaponized for political ends.
“If the courts lend legitimacy to the Government’s tendency to stifling opposition parties and ignore strict adherence to due process and substantive just, it will be seen as judicial endorsement of political exclusion.
“That path is in itself dangerous, risks disenfranchisement, deepens division ,and could trigger widespread unrest” Sharrif warned.
The Source further reports that the protest match came barely 24 hours after Obi, a former front line ADC presidential hopeful resigned from the party owing to what he described as endless Government’s interference in all the parties he had identified with since 2023.
Former Governor of Cross River State, Ben Ayade, has abandoned his Senatorial ambition, allegedly, in deference to President Bola Tinubu’s directives.
He reportedly said it was with a heavy heart that he has stopped his supporters from going ahead with their plans to purchase the expression of interest and nomination forms so as not to run foul of the Presidential order.
But despite the political set back, the former Governor has pledged to fully back not only the President, but also, all the candidates of the All Progressive Congress, APC, before and during the 2027 elections.
The Source reports that Ayade has been engaged in a heated disagreement with his successor, Governor Bassy Otu, and the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, for being behind his political misfortune.
Specifically, he has accused the duo, Governor Otu and the Senate President of feeding the President with tissues of lies on the political temperature and landscape of the State.
In a statement on his official site on Monday, Ayade, who presided over the affairs of Cross River state between 2015 and 2023, lamented that he has been a victim of misinformation and misrepresentation allegedly dished out to President Tinubu.
According to him, the directive from the President for him to withdraw from the Senatorial race, may have been as a result of misinformation fed to him on the situation on ground.
He expressed serious regret and concern that he is being asked to step down for a green horn after working tirelessly for the victory of the APC in 2023.
“Mr President wants me to withdraw my Senate ambition. I yield to his request even as I pour tears of ill-treatment and agony.
“Mr President may not be aware that the beneficiaries of his order are people armed against us with guns and machetes in the collection centres.
“I worked assiduously for the party and delivered almost 40,000 votes above PDP in the presidential election, first in the history of our state.
“For over three years now, I have been sidelined without appointment.
“Now, yielding ticket to a newest entrant from opposition just under five months is a spiritual murder”, the former Governor lamented.
He, however, urged his supporters to remain calm and particularly respect Mr President’s directive.
“Let us tarry and honour Mr President even as we still appeal for the review of his order”, he added.
“ To fight the raven, you may make an alliance with the serpent until the battle is done.” – Anonymous.
The euphoria that accompanied the permutation leading to the emergence of the O-K Political Movement clearly shows that Nigerians are eager to see its success. But the question on everyone’s lips is whether this OK can effectively sail in a leaking boat like the African Democratic Congress, ADC. Can OK successfully reach its intended destination within ADC? There is a real concern that the ADC, where OK and other opposition figures are uniting, is by all standards an unstable vessel.
If that’s the case, what are they still doing in ADC with all the Tinubu and Atiku pitfalls widening daily and the window for escape closing? Yet, the follow-up question remains: is there any political platform in Nigeria today whose roof is not leaking? This paints a stark picture of the health and status of democracy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, who ironically came to power riding on the same political process the then-ruling PDP had, but which is now being openly undermined.
The enthusiasm Nigerians showed for the Obi/Kwankwaso (OK) coalition is waning due to the uncertainty surrounding the ADC platform on which they operate. While ADC’s role as the main opposition coalition is undisputed, the reality remains that it is a leaking vessel. Its sail cannot be steady because water is entering the boat—some sneaked in by the ruling forces unsettled by the coalition’s success, and some from within by those driven by selfish interests rather than the common good.
ADC’s leadership has further fueled confusion by failing to do the necessary—zoning the presidency to the south in line with the prevailing just and equitable spirit of the polity. This deliberate oversight has prompted deep thinkers to speculate that the coalition may not be as committed as believed to wresting power from the underperforming APC.
All the unnecessary political re-engineering within ADC leads external observers to question whether the crusading OK movement can truly sail in a leaky boat. The energy and emotion expended in ADC could be better utilised elsewhere, allowing one to sleep peacefully.
As a matter of urgency, the unnecessary water in the ADC boat must be drained, and the crew must steer the vessel in the right direction. Failing to do so could mean that OK might jump into another boat and head straight for victory. OK’s departure from the current vessel would inevitably lead to its sinking.
The “Leaky Boat” metaphor is very fitting for the ADC at the moment. While it has successfully united the OK Movement (Obi and Kwankwaso) under one banner, the structure itself is taking on water from several sides—legal battles, power struggles, leadership disagreements, and the threat of “transactional” politics.
The clear picture is that ADC is not a united house as intended. The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) refusal to recognise its recent conventions has created a “phantom” leadership structure, even though it is obvious where the frustration originates—from the panicky, underwhelming ruling government.
A party with leadership in court cannot reliably submit candidates for the 2027 elections. If David Mark and his team do not secure a legal ceasefire this week, the OK Movement is likely to abandon ship—they cannot afford to sail in a vessel without lawful registration.
The coalition must therefore find a “Legal Safe Harbour”—either by resolving the leadership dispute through the Supreme Court or by preparing a backup plan (Plan B) before the 2027 window closes.
The driving force in the opposition platform in today’s Nigerian political environment is Peter Obi. In recent public remarks, he hinted at “dumping” the ADC if the primary process becomes transactional. What does that mean? If the ADC decides to hollow out its own structures for financial gain during election cycles, that is, if the party establishment attempts to sell primary tickets or compromise the process, then the “Obidient” and Kwankwasiyya core will most likely abandon ship immediately. The integrity of the OK Movement is its only currency; if that leaks, the boat sinks. The Obi-Kwankwaso Equilibrium creates a significant “weight” on the vessel. Kano’s Kwankwasiyya and the South’s Obidients are both high-demand voter blocs in Nigeria today. In a leaking boat, two captains cannot be fighting over the rudder.
If the opposition blocs are genuinely serious about wresting power, they must deliberately and swiftly establish a “Unity Ticket.” Delaying the decision on who will take the presidential and vice-presidential slots merely grants the ruling party more opportunity to deepen divisions through divisive propaganda and by buying off transactional figures willing to be bought.
The ruling APC is already exploiting the ADC’s internal fractures, which they are inducing. President Tinubu’s recent confrontational rhetoric strongly suggests a strategy of unsettling the opposition camp. The ruling party recognises its electoral weakness; if it cannot defeat the OK Movement at the polls, why not weaken it through a flurry of legal challenges that erode its legal standing?
The OK Movement possesses multiple variables that are heavy enough to give the APC sleepless nights over 2027. These include three key acronyms: Obi, / Kwankwaso; Obidient / Kwankwasiyya; and the Onitsha/Kano Connections. From any perspective, these are powerful because they shift the conversation away from abstract politics and ground it in Nigeria’s economic and cultural realities. They link the country’s two most vibrant commercial hubs, suggesting that a political alliance between Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso is effectively a “Union of the Markets.” The pressing question is whether the Onitsha-Kano Economic Corridor can become the salvation for Nigerian politics. From the Niger to the Sahel, the OK Movement is emerging as the new trade route to power.
Politicians in Abuja clearly speak the language of “zoning” and “allocations,” while the people of Onitsha and Kano speak the dialect of trade, transit, and tolls. The emerging alliance, therefore, is not just about two men; it’s about the two most entrepreneurial cultures in Nigeria uniting. If the markets of the North and South find a common language, the political map will naturally follow for good. It highlights the contrast between the lorry and the luxurious, the grain of the North and the commerce of the South. Ahead of 2027, the challenge is whether the red cap (Kwankwasiya) and the white shirt (Obidient) can share the same space. Can a Kano merchant cross the Niger in a canoe while carrying a Kano camel, or would he require a sturdy ship built on mutual compromise? The Onitsha-Kano connection is not a new creation of the political class; it is a centuries-old reality of the Nigerian marketplace that is finally demanding a seat at the cabinet table. If Peter Obi represents the ‘ledger’ and Rabiu Kwankwaso the ‘labour,’ their alliance creates a balance sheet that the current establishment cannot ignore. Obi already states that “Northern arable land is more valuable than oil.” To understand the OK Movement, one must look beyond the rallies in Abuja to the exchange of goods at the Bridge Head and Kurmi Market. The unique selling points are the “Market Voter”—the artisans, traders, and transporters most affected by inflation. This is their movement, effectively connecting the youthful “Obidient” digital energy with the grassroots discipline of the “Kwankwasiya.” Here, the “click” meets the “brick.” It is crucial to understand that the “Onitsha/Kano Connection” is not merely a political pairing but a structural realignment of Nigeria’s economic and electoral foundations. Addressing the leaks immediately or abandoning the ship should be a priority for the OK supporters. Undoubtedly, in Nigeria’s political landscape today, the Onitsha-Kano connection as represented by OK poses the most significant electoral threat to the status quo in a generation. However, the ADC currently functions more like a temporary raft than a battleship. Consequently, the enthusiastic populace expects the OK Movement to transition to a new structure if the legal regularisation with INEC remains unresolved. And if an anti-transaction pact is not sincerely signed and enforced to demonstrate commitment to a transparent primary and a clear, unified policy document for the Kano-Onitsha economic corridor. God help us.
Abonyi is an accomplished Journalist, Columnist and Media Consultant
