2027: Donald Duke warns divided opposition could hand Tinubu victory

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, has warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could win the 2027 presidential election if opposition parties fail to unite behind a common candidate.

Duke, a former governor of Cross River State, gave the warning on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after attending a meeting of major opposition parties in Abuja to discuss plans for greater cooperation ahead of the 2027 general election.

The meeting brought together representatives of six opposition parties — the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), PRP and Social Democratic Party (SDP) — as part of renewed efforts to build a common political platform against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, prominent opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar of the ADC and Peter Obi of the NDC, were absent from the gathering.

Duke said the absence of unity among opposition parties could repeat the pattern witnessed during the 2023 presidential election, when votes were divided among several major candidates.

“Absolutely, with the chequered opposition it won’t work; Tinubu might win,” Duke said when asked whether a fragmented opposition could allow the President to secure another term.

He argued that Tinubu would not necessarily need to win more than half of the votes cast nationwide to emerge victorious, because Nigeria’s constitutional requirements allow a presidential candidate to win by securing the highest number of votes while meeting the required geographical spread.

Duke recalled that Tinubu won about 37 per cent of the votes in 2023, suggesting that a similar pattern could occur in 2027 if opposition candidates remain divided.

“Last time he had about 37 per cent of the votes. So that scenario may replay itself,” he said.

“It may even be less. He may get maybe 25 per cent,” Duke added.

According to the PRP candidate, the opposition’s fragmentation could enable Tinubu to win with a relatively small percentage of the total vote, provided he secures the required spread across the states.

“He doesn’t need to get eight million votes. He could just get 10 votes more, five votes more than every other person. He has a majority,” he said.

Duke described such an outcome as producing a minority government, arguing that an incumbent could return to power without receiving more than half of all votes cast if opposition candidates split the electorate.

His comments came as opposition parties intensified discussions on how to avoid another fragmented presidential contest.

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At the Abuja opposition summit, Duke said he was prepared to sacrifice his own presidential ambition if the participating parties eventually agree on another candidate who is better positioned to defeat Tinubu.

Asked whether he would step aside for another candidate, Duke replied: “Absolutely.”

He said the first requirement was for the opposition to establish a common objective before determining who should lead the presidential campaign.

“Once we have commonality in objective, the next question is who is best suited for this?” he said, stressing the need for a “voice of reason” among the various political interests.

Duke also offered a critical assessment of Tinubu’s performance in office, distinguishing between the President’s political ability and his record in governance.

“Give it to him, he is a formidable politician, my issue with him is governance not politics,” Duke said.

The former Cross River governor argued that Tinubu no longer enjoys the level of public sympathy he had during the 2023 election.

He attributed the change to worsening economic conditions and what he described as growing public disillusionment with the administration.

“Things have gone harder for people, a lot of people are disillusioned by his style of governance, hope has turned into despair,” he said.

Duke argued that while the ruling party may have political structures across the country, voters would ultimately make decisions based on their personal experiences and economic circumstances.

He therefore urged opposition parties to focus on building a credible alternative rather than relying solely on political structures.

The PRP presidential candidate also warned opposition parties against waiting until after the election before responding to possible electoral challenges.

He said political parties should anticipate problems that could arise on election day and develop strategies to mitigate them before voting begins.

“The reality is that things are bound to happen on that day, how to mitigate those things should be the major concern of the opposition,” he said.

Duke added that opposition parties would have themselves to blame if they repeated the mistakes of previous elections.

The Abuja summit had earlier produced proposals aimed at strengthening opposition cooperation, including a Government of National Competence, a proposed single four-year transition term and a roadmap towards selecting a common presidential candidate.

The parties also agreed to establish working groups to develop proposals on opposition unity, political reforms and the process for producing a common candidate.

However, the absence of some of the most prominent opposition figures from the first summit highlights the difficulties that could confront efforts to create a united platform ahead of 2027.

The question of who would eventually emerge as the opposition’s presidential candidate is expected to be particularly contentious, given the presence of several influential politicians with presidential ambitions.

For Duke, however, the overriding objective should be defeating the ruling party, even if that requires individual politicians to step aside.

He maintained that a divided opposition could once again allow Tinubu to benefit from vote splitting and secure another term with a relatively low share of the overall vote.

The emerging opposition coalition will therefore face a major test in the months ahead: whether its leaders can move beyond individual ambitions, agree on a credible common candidate and build an effective electoral structure before the 2027 presidential election.

If they fail to do so, Duke believes the opposition could repeat the experience of 2023 — and hand Tinubu another electoral advantage.

2027: Donald Duke warns divided opposition could hand Tinubu victory

2027: Atiku, Obi, Makinde absent as opposition parties chart path to common candidate

The presidential candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar; Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi; and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, were absent as leaders of six major opposition parties converged on Abuja on Monday to begin a structured process towards building a united political platform ahead of the 2027 general election.

The first Summit of Nigeria’s Opposition Political Parties was held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, with representatives of the ADC, APM, NDC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) in attendance.

The summit was organised with the participation of the G100 and the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives as opposition politicians seek to avoid the vote fragmentation that characterised the 2023 presidential election.

Although Atiku, Obi and Makinde were not at the meeting, several presidential and vice-presidential candidates attended, alongside national working committee members and representatives of the boards of trustees of the participating parties.

Those in attendance included SDP presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo, PRP presidential candidate Donald Duke and APM vice-presidential candidate Lawal Musa Daura.

The discussions focused largely on developing a framework that would enable the opposition parties to coordinate their activities, resolve differences and eventually work towards a common presidential candidate for 2027.

Speaking on behalf of the G100, former APC National Vice Chairman Salihu Moh. Lukman proposed the establishment of a Government of National Competence anchored on a single four-year transition term.

Lukman said the proposal was designed to create a government based on competence, integrity, national inclusion and fair representation among parties participating in the proposed alliance.

He said the arrangement should be backed by an enforceable Transition Charter that would commit the parties to a single four-year term and prevent future disagreements from undermining the coalition.

According to Lukman, the opposition should avoid repeating the pattern of political agreements that depend solely on goodwill and personal assurances.

He argued that any agreement reached must be written, witnessed and enforceable, with clearly defined consequences for parties or individuals who violate its provisions.

Lukman also drew lessons from Nigeria’s previous elections, particularly the 2015 presidential election, when opposition parties successfully united under the All Progressives Congress (APC) to defeat the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party.

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He contrasted that outcome with the 2023 presidential election, when votes for major opposition candidates were divided among different platforms.

According to him, the combined votes of the leading opposition candidates were significantly higher than the votes secured by the eventual winner, but the fragmentation of those votes allowed the ruling party to emerge victorious under Nigeria’s electoral system.

Lukman described the 2023 outcome as an arithmetical lesson for the opposition, arguing that parties cannot expect to defeat an established political structure if they continue to divide their support base.

He also cited Kenya’s 2002 election and Malaysia’s 2018 political transition as examples of opposition forces defeating long-standing ruling parties after choosing cooperation over political fragmentation.

To give the proposed alliance a formal structure, the G100 recommended three standing bodies.

The first is a Central Leadership Committee, comprising national chairmen, national secretaries, presidential candidates and vice-presidential candidates of the participating parties. The committee would provide political direction and coordinate the coalition process.

The second is a Publicity and Communication Committee, which would coordinate joint messaging and communication among the participating parties.

The third is a Legal Committee, which would provide legal advice and coordinate legal strategies on matters relating to the proposed opposition cooperation.

The summit also agreed to establish five working groups, with each participating party expected to nominate one representative.

The groups are expected to produce working papers within four weeks covering a National Covenant for Democratic Renewal, Single-Term Transition Charter, National Reform Programme, Framework for Opposition Unity and Roadmap to a Common Presidential Candidate.

The documents are expected to form the basis for deliberations at a second opposition summit, where the parties would consider the next stage of the coalition process.

Lukman stressed that Monday’s meeting was not intended to force any political party to dissolve or merge with another.

He also clarified that the summit was not asking any presidential candidate to withdraw from the 2027 race immediately.

Instead, the immediate objective was to establish the rules and institutional framework that would allow the parties to negotiate their differences before addressing the question of a common presidential candidate.

Leading the House of Representatives Minority Caucus to the summit, Minority Leader Fred Agbedi urged opposition parties to close ranks and replicate the strategy that helped the APC defeat the PDP in 2015.

Agbedi said the Minority Caucus had decided to work with the G100 to help opposition parties streamline their ambitions and develop a collective strategy capable of producing victory in 2027.

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He warned that repeating the fragmentation of 2023 could again leave the opposition with millions of votes that would not translate into electoral victory.

Agbedi urged political leaders to put aside personal ambitions and focus on building a viable alternative to the ruling APC.

PRP presidential candidate Donald Duke also called for political leaders to subordinate individual ambitions to the broader interest of the country.

Duke said he was prepared to support any presidential candidate who emerges through a credible and jointly agreed process involving the participating parties.

He argued that political ego had repeatedly prevented opposition politicians from working together effectively.

Duke warned that the opposition would struggle to defeat the ruling party if individual politicians insisted on pursuing their ambitions independently.

Speaking on behalf of the ADC, its National Vice Chairman for the South-South, Usani Uguru Usani, expressed confidence in the coalition initiative but warned opposition politicians against internal attacks.

Usani said opposition figures were sometimes more focused on attacking one another than confronting the political challenges they collectively faced.

He urged the parties to concentrate on developing a credible alternative capable of winning the confidence of Nigerian voters.

APM National Chairman Yusuf Mamman Dantalle described the summit as an important development in Nigeria’s political history and urged participants to look beyond individual and party interests.

Representing the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP, its Board of Trustees Secretary, Dr Babangida Aliyu, commended the initiative and called for the coalition-building process to be extended to the state and local government levels.

PRP National Chairman Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed described the meeting as historic and said Nigerians were watching the opposition’s efforts closely.

He said the participating parties faced significant political and legal challenges but insisted that the coalition-building process would continue.

SDP National Chairman Prof. Sadiq Gombe also pledged his party’s commitment to the initiative, arguing that Nigerian voters had demonstrated a willingness to support credible alternatives.

NDC National Chairman Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, speaking on behalf of his party and Peter Obi, endorsed the coalition process and described it as an opportunity for opposition parties to develop a pathway towards addressing the country’s challenges.

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At the end of the meeting, the six parties adopted a Joint Communiqué committing themselves to a structured process of negotiation on opposition cooperation ahead of the 2027 election.

The parties formally established the Central Leadership Committee, Publicity and Communication Committee and Legal Committee.

They also agreed to constitute the five working groups and directed them to produce their respective documents within four weeks ahead of the proposed second summit.

The communiqué confirmed that the G100 would remain a facilitator and observer, rather than assume the authority of the political parties involved in the process.

In another major resolution, the parties called on the United States government to ensure the timely and lawful disclosure of all non-exempt official records concerning President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that are relevant to legitimate public interest.

The demand is connected to an ongoing Freedom of Information Act case before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

The opposition parties, however, clarified that the request did not presume the contents of any undisclosed records and did not amount to a finding of wrongdoing against President Tinubu.

They also resolved to formally communicate their position to the ECOWAS Commission.

The major challenge now facing the emerging opposition coalition is whether it can translate the resolutions reached in Abuja into a functioning political alliance capable of competing effectively in 2027.

The absence of Atiku, Obi and Makinde from the inaugural summit also highlights the political complexities that could shape the coalition process, particularly because all three remain influential figures whose political ambitions and support bases could affect any eventual opposition arrangement.

For now, the parties have deliberately avoided the most contentious question — who will fly the eventual opposition presidential ticket.

Instead, they have chosen to establish the negotiating framework first, with the five working groups expected to develop proposals on how a common candidate could eventually emerge.

Whether the parties can overcome individual ambitions, ideological differences, leadership disputes and competing political interests will determine whether the latest opposition unity effort develops into a genuine electoral alliance or becomes another short-lived political arrangement.

With the 2027 general election drawing closer, the Abuja summit marks a renewed attempt by Nigeria’s opposition parties to learn from the lessons of 2023 and build a more coordinated challenge to the ruling APC.

2027: Atiku, Obi, Makinde absent as opposition parties chart path to common candidate

Mother Arrested for Smuggling ‘Colos’ to Son on Death Row in Ogun Prison

NCoS intercepts psychoactive synthetic drug concealed in beverage sachet during routine screening at Ibara Custodial Centre

The Ogun State Command of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has arrested a woman, Mrs Iyabo Sowunmi, for allegedly attempting to smuggle suspected illicit drugs into the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Ibara, Abeokuta, for her son, Dare Sowunmi, who is currently on death row at the facility. The spokesperson for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, Olayinka Odukoya, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, confirming that Sowunmi was arrested at about 1:33 pm on Friday, August 28, 2026, during a routine screening at the facility’s main entrance.

Odukoya explained that the substance, suspected to be “Colos” , a psychoactive synthetic drug, was concealed in a sachet of a popular beverage powder and was allegedly intended for the inmate. He stated, “At approximately 1:33 PM on Friday, August 28, 2026, routine screening procedures at the facility’s main entry point led to the detection of suspicious substances, believed to be the psychoactive synthetic drug commonly known as ‘Colos,’ concealed within a sachet of a popular beverage powder. The suspect was attempting to deliver the package to an inmate, Dare Sowunmi, who is currently on death row. Following the interception, officers immediately detained Mrs Sowunmi. In accordance with inter-agency operational protocols, she has been handed over to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) for comprehensive investigation and prosecution.”

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Reacting to the incident, the Controller of Corrections, Ogun State Command, Abioye Adesina, commended the security personnel for their vigilance and adherence to security protocols. Adesina said, “Our custodial facilities exist to ensure public safety, reformation, and rehabilitation. We maintain an absolute zero-tolerance policy for drug trafficking or any illegal acts designed to compromise security. Attempts to introduce contraband into our facilities will be met with swift legal action.” The command urged members of the public to respect the integrity of custodial institutions, warning that anyone seeking to undermine security would face the full weight of the law.

This incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of the Ibara Custodial Centre following a separate security breach in August 2026. The NCoS had earlier ordered the removal of the Officer-in-Charge of the facility and two other principal officers after a death row inmate, Elijah Oyebode, was found in possession of a prohibited mobile phone, which he used to access social media and conduct TikTok Live sessions from within the facility. The inmate was subsequently transferred to another facility under enhanced security. The service described that incident as “a serious breach of custodial security,” and investigations into possible officer complicity remained ongoing.

The arrest of Mrs Sowunmi underscores the ongoing challenges faced by correctional facilities in preventing the inflow of contraband, particularly drugs, into prison environments. The NDLEA has been working closely with prison authorities to strengthen security measures and curb the illegal trade of narcotics within custodial centres. The agency has also intensified operations along Nigeria’s maritime routes and at ports, recently intercepting a wooden boat transporting illicit drugs to Cameroon and recording its first seizure of synthetic cannabis smuggled from Thailand, valued at over $4.5 million.

Mother Arrested for Smuggling ‘Colos’ to Son on Death Row in Ogun Prison