Two of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures have announced they have switched parties in a dramatic political realignment ahead of next year’s presidential election.
Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who finished third and fourth respectively in the 2023 presidential race, have both joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), raising the prospect of a joint ticket to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
They were previously in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), along with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who came second in the last election.
While this could be seen as a fragmentation of the opposition, supporters of Obi and Kwankwaso say it will give their alliance greater focus.
Both men are former governors and command significant grassroots followings – the Obedient movement and the Kwankwasiya movement respectively.
Obi is hugely popular among young voters across the south, while Kwankwaso wields considerable influence in the north.
The move comes just nine months after Obi, Kwankwaso and Abubakar joined the ADC but that alliance quickly became mired in legal battles over party leadership – something Obi blamed on the government.