• Akin Osuntokun, a former political adviser to ex-President Obasanjo, made a claim about who is funding the NDC’s 2027 presidential ticket
• Osuntokun explained that Obasanjo personally brought Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso together as running mates for the 2027 election
• The claim directly challenges recent speculation that Obasanjo has been quietly working in favour of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

FCT, Abuja – A former political adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has claimed that the retired Nigerian leader is the chief financial backer of the Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

Legit.ng reports that Akin Osuntokun made the claim during an interview with Arise News on Sunday, July 26, 2026, saying it was “conspicuously obvious” that Obasanjo’s support sits firmly behind the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Obasanjo brokered Obi-Kwankwaso alliance – Osuntokun

According to Osuntokun, Obasanjo did not merely endorse the pairing but actively engineered it, bringing the two politicians together himself.

“As a matter of fact, he (Obasanjo) is the principal sponsor. He was one who put the two of them together. This is what I know,” Osuntokun said during the interview.

He added:

“He (Obasanjo) was the one who brokered the ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso. Both of them are quite close to him. So that, of course, is a ticket that makes sense and has the potential to make a lot of impact in the 2027 elections.”

The comments appear aimed at pushing back against a separate narrative that has been circulating, suggesting Obasanjo may have been lending quiet support to President Bola Tinubu. Osuntokun dismissed that theory, arguing that Obasanjo’s backing of the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket made it impossible to sustain such a claim.

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“So, how do you then rationalise, from that fact, that he is supporting Obi and Kwankwaso, and then insinuate that he is working for Tinubu, because Tinubu visited him in 2023?” he said.

Peter Obi’s road to NDC ticket

Obi resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in May and was ratified as the NDC’s presidential candidate on May 29, 2026. The NDC ticket pairs him with former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate for the 2027 presidential race.

Osuntokun’s claims, if accurate, would place Obasanjo at the centre of one of the most significant opposition political arrangements ahead of the 2027 polls.

Watch Osuntokun’s interview on the NDC presidential ticket via X below:

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Obi asks Tinubu to resign

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Obi called for President Tinubu’s resignation.

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Obi demanded President Tinubu’s resignation over alleged governance failures and purported nationwide discontent.

Following the IMF’s purported revelation that expenditure amounting to two per cent of Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) was omitted from the budget process, Obi described the development as “horrible” and called on the president to step down.

Source: Legit.ng