Missing Loyalist: What Kwankwaso’s Absence Says About 2027 Opposition Calculations
By Kabir Akintayo
The unveiling of The Loyalist: A Memoir of Service and Sacrifice by was more than a literary event. It was carefully staged as a symbolic convergence of Nigeria’s emerging opposition coalition — a public show of unity, intellectual gravitas and political readiness ahead of 2027. Yet, as the hall in Abuja filled with prominent figures, one absence echoed louder than the speeches: was nowhere in sight.
For months, Kwankwaso’s name has featured prominently in opposition arithmetic as a possible running mate to under the (ADC). His presence at such a high-profile gathering would have visually strengthened that narrative and helped anchor the idea of a broad-based ticket. Instead, his absence has become the first visible stress test of those projections.
The event drew an impressive cast: , , , , , , , , and , among others. The message was unmistakable: the opposition is talking seriously, and 2027 is already on the table.
But politics is defined as much by absence as by presence. Kwankwaso’s non-attendance — alongside that of — injected a subtle but undeniable note of uncertainty into what was meant to be a seamless spectacle of alignment.
The irony is striking. Abdullahi’s memoir interrogates power, ambition, and the limits of personal loyalty. It wrestles with the tension between allegiance to individuals and loyalty to institutions and principles. Without naming names, the themes mirror today’s fractures — from El-Rufai’s strained dynamics in Kaduna to Kwankwaso’s political tensions in Kano.
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That a book questioning hierarchy and political subordination was launched in the absence of two leaders currently navigating loyalty disputes is symbolism hard to dismiss.
The speeches revealed deeper ideological and strategic currents. Aregbesola insisted loyalty must be to a cause, not personalities — a pointed statement in a political culture steeped in godfatherism. Atiku spoke of the costs of loyalty and the need for it to serve the common good, not narrow circles. Beneath the philosophy lay a political fact: the room held multiple presidential hopefuls.
That reality complicates the assumption that a vice-presidential slot is reserved for Kwankwaso. Figures like Atiku and Amaechi, each with national ambitions and structures, may view such projections as premature — even restrictive. The event meant to project unity inadvertently exposed these quiet negotiations.
Fayemi’s posture added another layer. Present, engaged, yet publicly non-committal about formal coalition membership, he embodied strategic caution — a reminder that attendance does not equal endorsement.
In many respects, The Loyalist became a metaphor for the opposition’s own struggle with loyalty and coherence. The event showcased intellectual seriousness and a powerful network of actors, but also underlined unresolved questions: Who leads? Who concedes? Who waits?
Kwankwaso’s absence, at a moment when his running-mate narrative might have been cemented, suggests negotiations remain unsettled. In Nigerian politics, silence often speaks louder than applause. And this silence hints that the path to a united opposition ticket may be more contested than advertised.
Unity can be declared in speeches. It must be negotiated in rooms — and sometimes revealed in who chooses not to enter them.
