In a scathing political assessment that has ignited fresh debates across Nigeria’s digital and traditional media spaces, former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has flatly dismissed the possibility of a presidential alliance between the leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the 2023 Labour Party standard-bearer, Peter Obi. Fani-Kayode, known for his acerbic and direct commentary, argued that the proposed merger of these two political heavyweights is an exercise in futility, driven more by desperation than by political reality.
The former minister’s remarks were contained in a detailed political commentary titled, “The Irretrievable Breakdown of Marriage Between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.” In the piece, Fani-Kayode, who currently serves as a prominent ally and defender of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, provided a deep dive into the cracks currently forming within the opposition landscape. He maintained that the various movements seeking to build a formidable coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, ahead of the 2027 general elections are already being undermined by the very personal ambitions that led to their defeat in the previous cycle.
Central to Fani-Kayode’s argument is the political stature and pedigree of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. He asserted that it is practically inconceivable for a politician of Kwankwaso’s experience and regional influence to accept a position as a running mate to Peter Obi. Fani-Kayode highlighted Kwankwaso’s extensive resume, which includes tenures as a two-term Governor of Kano State, a former Minister of Defence, and a Senator of the Federal Republic, noting that his roots in Northern politics are too deep for him to play second fiddle to a relative newcomer on the national stage like Obi.
I do not see how a seasoned and highly respected Northern politician like Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, who has served as governor and minister and has spent decades in politics, can agree to be a running mate to Peter Obi, Fani-Kayode stated. He reminded Nigerians that Kwankwaso himself has previously distanced himself from such suggestions, underscoring the former Kano governor's belief that his Kwankwasiyya movement commands a loyalist base that cannot simply be handed over to a Southern candidate in a deputy capacity.
The former minister further analyzed the structural barriers to such a union, pointing to the stark religious, regional, and ideological differences that define the two men’s respective political brands. While Obi’s movement is largely characterized by an urban, youth-centric, and Southern-Christian demographic, Kwankwaso’s power base is rooted in the conservative, grassroots, and Northern-Muslim heartland of Kano and its environs. Fani-Kayode argued that harmonizing these two distinct worlds into a single, cohesive electoral ticket would be a task fraught with insurmountable friction.
Fani-Kayode’s critique extended beyond the Kwankwaso-Obi dynamic, touching on the broader attempts at a grand opposition alliance involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. He claimed that the much-talked-about merger is already plagued by internal distrust and power struggles. According to him, the supporters of Obi, Atiku, and Kwankwaso are fundamentally divided over the question of leadership. None of the three titans of the opposition appears willing to step down for the other, leading to a stalemate that Fani-Kayode believes will eventually lead to the total collapse of the talks.
He argued that this inability to reach a consensus proves that personal ambition remains the primary driver for these leaders, rather than a genuine collective interest in the welfare of Nigeria. He accused the opposition of lacking a coherent ideological alternative to the APC, focusing instead on a politics of convenience that the Nigerian electorate can easily see through.
The former Aviation Minister did not hold back in his criticism of the political consistency of Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar. He pointed to their frequent movements across various political parties—from the PDP to the APGA, to the Labour Party, and back again—as evidence of a lack of rooted principles. This political nomadism, as he described it, has weakened public confidence in their ability to lead a stable government.
Fani-Kayode also took aim at Peter Obi’s specific political style, alleging that the former Anambra State governor has a habit of exiting the stage whenever he faces significant disagreement or internal opposition. To bolster his point, he cited recent public criticisms of Obi by former allies and high-ranking figures within his movement. He specifically referenced comments from Kenneth Okonkwo and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, as well as nuanced remarks from Obi’s own 2023 running mate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, suggesting that even those within Obi’s inner circle are beginning to question his political approach and strategy.
As a staunch supporter of the current administration, Fani-Kayode concluded his commentary by asserting that the opposition would find it nearly impossible to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election. He argued that Tinubu’s decades of experience in building cross-regional alliances, combined with the power of the incumbency and a formidable party structure, place him far ahead of his rivals.
He characterized the opposition's efforts as an unrealistic attempt to return to power and urged Atiku and Obi to accept the reality that their time in the sun has passed. For Fani-Kayode, the ongoing disagreements within the opposition are not just a temporary setback but a sign of an irretrievable breakdown that will ultimately ensure an APC victory in the next election cycle.
As the political landscape continues to shift toward 2027, Fani-Kayode’s intervention serves as a reminder of the immense hurdles facing those who wish to present a united front against the status quo. If his assessment holds true, the marriage of the opposition may indeed be over before the wedding has even been fully planned.
