2027: Netizens Mull Saraki, Obi, Kwankwaso For Presidency

Ahead of the 2027 election cycle, some Nigerians are clamouring for opposition politicians to throw their hats into the ring in order to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre.

A digital sticker comprising images of Dr. Bukola Saraki, Peter Obi and Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has gone viral on social media. Although, no specific information on the sticker save for ‘New Nigeria’, suggesting that it is a call for a change of the nation’s political leadership in the next general election.

Saraki had declared his intention to run for the presidency under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on July 13, 2018, but lost the primaries to Atiku Abubakar. Despite this, he was appointed the director general of Atiku’s campaign for the 2019 presidential election. Prior to that, Saraki served as the 13th President of the Nigerian Senate from 2015 to 2019, having been elected on June 9, 2015, on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Also, before that, he served as the governor of Kwara State from 2003 to 2011. He was first elected to the Senate in 2011 under the PDP and was re-elected in 2015 under the APC. In 2018, Saraki returned to the PDP and became the opposition leader.

For his part, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in 2023 elections, ran alongside Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as his running mate, though they lost to Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima. Obi’s campaign, supported by a group of passionate followers known as the “Obi-dients”, was considered populist. Eaerluer, in 2019, Obi was the vice-presidential candidate of the PDP, nominated alongside Atiku Abubakar but lost to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2022, he joined the Labour Party and was selected as its presidential candidate. Obi previously contested the 2003 Anambra State gubernatorial election under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) but lost to Chris Ngige. After three years of legal tussle, he was declared governor by the court in 2006, impeached the same year, and then reinstated. He served as governor until 2014.

While Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso served as Governor of Kano State from 1999 to 2003 and again from 2011 to 2015. After losing re-election in 2003, he became the Minister of Defence under President Olusegun Obasanjo from 2003 to 2007, despite having no military background. He was elected to the Senate in 2015 under the APC but served only one term. Kwankwaso, a charismatic populist, joined the APC in 2014 and contested the 2015 presidential primaries, losing to Muhammadu Buhari. In 2018, he returned to the PDP and lost the presidential primaries to Atiku Abubakar. In 2023, he ran for President under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and secured 6.23% of the vote.

LEADERSHIP reports all the three politicians are of different parties and it remained to be seen if they can work together to support one of them or not.