Makinde, Kwankwaso, May Align With ADC Amid PDP, NNPP Crises

Fresh indications have emerged that a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may soon collapse its structures into the African Democratic Congress (ADC), as reconciliation efforts within the party continue to falter.

The faction, aligned with Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, is said to be weighing the option following the apparent breakdown of talks with the rival camp loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

Signals of a possible realignment were strengthened during Makinde’s recent visit to Kano, where he met with former governor and presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso at his residence duringSallah festivities.

He was spotted with a leading figure in the ADC, Mr Peter Obi, at Kwankwaso’s residence.

The meeting, which drew a large crowd of supporters of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, is widely seen by political observers as a strategic engagement with significant implications ahead of the 2027 elections.

The development comes amid lingering disagreements between Kwankwaso and sections of the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the platform on which he contested the 2023 presidential election.

Meanwhile, Makinde has ruled out any possibility of working in tandem with the agenda of the Wike-aligned faction of the PDP.

He made this position known during a meeting with journalists in Bauchi, shortly after a closed-door session attended by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and Senator Seriake Dickson

Dickson had recently resigned from the PDP to lead the newly formed National Democratic Congress (NDC), further underscoring the deepening divisions within the opposition ranks.

Political analysts believe the Makinde group’s tilt towards the ADC may be driven by the perceived alignment of the Wike faction with President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Makinde has consistently maintained that his camp will not support Tinubu’s re-election bid, insisting that any alliance with Wike’s group would amount to endorsing the president.

“I came to the public domain to state that I attended a meeting with Wike and President Tinubu, where Wike pledged to deliver the PDP in support of the president in 2027,” Makinde said

“Anyone aligning with Wike’s group is indirectly supporting President Tinubu. We are not opposed to that choice, but Nigerians should be clear about the implications.”

As of the time of filing this report, it remained unclear whether concrete arrangements had been finalised for a mass defection of the political heavyweights to the ADC.

However, with reconciliation efforts stalled and internal disputes persisting across both the PDP and NNPP, the prospect of a broader political realignment appears increasingly likely.