The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has cautioned the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) against its decision to pair Peter Obi with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso for the 2027 presidential election, describing the choice as a “gross mistake”.
The party’s National Secretary-General, Ogini Olaposi, issued the warning on Monday, September 7, 2026, citing Kwankwaso’s fallout with the NNPP after he contested the 2023 presidential election under its platform.
Kwankwaso polled 1,496,687 votes in the 2023 election, finishing fourth behind Bola Tinubu, Atiku Abubakar and Obi.
Olaposi alleged that the NNPP gave Kwankwaso the platform to pursue his presidential ambition but that their relationship later collapsed over control of the party, contributing to internal divisions and the departure of some members.
He warned that the NDC could face a similar challenge, urging the party to consider the political record of its vice-presidential candidate.
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The NNPP official also rejected claims that party founder Boniface Aniebonam handed the organisation to Kwankwaso, insisting that the structure of a registered political party could not simply be transferred without the relevant documentation.
Olaposi further argued that Obi’s popularity alone would not guarantee victory in 2027, saying voters would also assess the running mate’s record. He dismissed large rally crowds as an unreliable measure of electoral strength.
He urged Seriake Dickson, whom he identified as an NDC founder, to protect the party’s structure and appealed to former NNPP members who left during the internal crisis to return.
The criticism comes three months after Obi emerged as the NDC’s presidential candidate and named Kwankwaso as his running mate at the party’s convention in Abuja on May 30, 2026.
The NNPP’s latest warning follows an earlier confrontation over Kwankwaso’s political future. In January 2026, Olaposi said Kwankwaso would not be allowed to seek the NNPP’s 2027 presidential ticket because of disagreements between the former governor and the party.
The dispute now places Kwankwaso’s former party and his new political alliance on opposite sides of the emerging 2027 contest, with the NNPP seeking to turn its experience with the former Kano governor into a warning for the NDC.