Opposition Unity Cracks as Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso Diverge on 2027 Strategy Against Tinubu

Opposition Unity Cracks as Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso Diverge on 2027 Strategy Against Tinubu

The G-100’s push for a united opposition front faces significant hurdles as both camps refuse to step aside, with the NDC publicly urging Atiku to back Peter Obi instead.

ABUJA, Nigeria – The camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi have firmly rejected the proposal that opposition parties must present a single presidential candidate to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election, creating fresh obstacles for efforts to build a broad opposition coalition. While both camps remain open to greater cooperation among opposition parties, neither has indicated a willingness to surrender its presidential ambition simply to make way for another candidate. The development comes as the G-100, a political pressure group led by former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, intensifies its push for a united opposition front, believing that opposition parties could lose the 2027 election if they enter the contest separately and split their votes among several presidential candidates. The G-100 has been advocating a common platform and a single presidential candidate capable of challenging Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). However, the latest reactions from the camps of Atiku and Obi suggest that cooperation may be easier to achieve than an agreement on who should fly the proposed opposition ticket, underlining one of the central difficulties confronting the opposition ahead of 2027.

Atiku’s position was made known by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, who said the former vice president was not opposed to efforts aimed at bringing opposition forces together, but indicated that discussions had moved beyond simply organising meetings and summits. “We have moved beyond this conversation. Atiku has brought to the table the policy alternatives, including what he would do with petroleum subsidy if elected. His policies are about the people and they are not hidden. Come January 2027, Nigerians will make their choice. This is where we are today,” Shaibu stated. He maintained that Atiku remained prepared to take over the leadership of the country and urged Nigerians to focus on the policies and programmes being offered by the various presidential candidates. The former vice president secured the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) after joining the party as part of the opposition realignment ahead of the 2027 election. Meanwhile, Atiku has declared that the 2027 presidential election would be his last attempt at the presidency, regardless of the outcome, having made the declaration during a Facebook Live session where he said, “Whether I win or lose, 2027 will be my last time contesting for the presidency.” The former vice president has sought the Nigerian presidency several times over the past decades, serving as vice president between 1999 and 2007.

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Obi’s camp has also maintained confidence in his political strength, with Obi having contested the 2023 election under the Labour Party and finished third in the official results, before later joining the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) where he has emerged as one of the leading figures in the opposition movement. The NDC has welcomed attempts to strengthen opposition cooperation but does not agree that all opposition parties must unite behind one candidate before Tinubu can be defeated. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, argued that Nigeria’s political history showed that an incumbent president could be defeated even when the opposition was not completely united under one presidential candidate. “Under a multi-party democracy, it is possible for one of the parties to defeat a sitting president. It happened in 2015 and it was only fragments of the All Progressives Grand Alliance and the Peoples Democratic Party that teamed up to form an alliance with the All Progressives Congress and they were able to defeat President Goodluck Jonathan,” Director said. “So, the NDC is not going into the 2027 election with that self-defeatist approach that the opposition cannot defeat the APC unless all the parties come together,” he stated.

Despite rejecting the argument that a single candidate is the only route to victory, the NDC spokesman made the party’s preference clear, saying the NDC believes Obi should lead the coalition if the opposition eventually decides to adopt a common presidential candidate. “We have made the point clear that we should choose the best candidate in the opposition and we in the NDC believe that Peter Obi is the best if he is allowed to lead the coalition. This is our position,” Director said. The push for Obi to lead a potential coalition has been further amplified by the NDC’s Director of New Media and Strategic Communications, Theo Abu Agada, who publicly called on Atiku to step aside and support Obi for the 2027 race, arguing that Atiku’s withdrawal from the race and support for Obi would strengthen the opposition’s chances of defeating President Bola Tinubu. “Every electioneering season. AA is a good and solid man, but he needs to give it up at this point. His idea for a working Nigeria is brilliant, but at this point, he needs to give up his ambition. If he steps aside, nothing is going to affect his sterling legacy. AA should support Obi to kick the APC out,” Agada wrote.

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The NDC’s presidential ticket now features a significant alliance between Obi and former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, who has accepted the position of vice presidential candidate. Kwankwaso disclosed that he agreed to serve as Obi’s running mate to bring solutions to Nigeria’s challenges, including youth unemployment, insecurity, and economic downturn. He lamented that Nigeria faces “a difficult economic reality” with rising food costs placing enormous pressure on families, while insecurity continues to threaten communities across the country, stating that “too many families have lost loved ones, homes and livelihoods to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violence.” “Our partnership is not about region, religion or personal ambition. It is about Nigeria. We believe in a country where government serves the people, where hard work is rewarded, where young people can build successful futures at home, and where every citizen has a fair opportunity to prosper,” Kwankwaso said, urging Nigerians to support the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket. The alliance between Obi and Kwankwaso has energised the NDC, with reports indicating that followers of both former governors have been mobilised under the party’s umbrella.

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has added to the political tension, describing Atiku as a “voodoo economist” and insisting that he is not a leading contender in the 2027 presidential election. Wike made the remark while reacting to Atiku’s claim that he would not remove fuel subsidy if elected president, saying, “I disagree that Atiku is one of the leading presidential candidates. We have only one leading candidate, and that is Bola Tinubu.” He further questioned Atiku’s consistency, noting that the former vice president had previously supported subsidy removal in 2022, adding, “2027 is gone because we don’t have any opposition that wants to wrestle power from the government.” Wike has also vowed to keep Atiku and Obi under pressure as the contest gathers momentum, saying in Abuja, “My business is to make them not feel well all day, because they will be having high blood pressure. I guess that is my job, to make them have high blood pressure.” His rivalry with both opposition figures predates the current alignment, with roots in the bruising PDP presidential primary of 2022.

The G-100 had proposed an opposition summit in Abuja to advance its unity agenda, with the group calling on opposition leaders to put aside individual interests and work towards presenting a common candidate. However, uncertainty surrounds the summit’s outcome as opposition leaders appear reluctant to concede ground. While Atiku had earlier welcomed “every genuine initiative aimed at strengthening democratic opposition,” his camp has now signalled that the conversation has moved beyond mere meetings. The Labour Party has also weighed in, arguing that any coalition should be built around its existing structure rather than creating another political platform. As the 2027 contest takes shape, the fragmentation of the opposition presents a significant advantage for the ruling APC, with political analysts noting that early resolution of candidate selection and message discipline will be critical in determining whether the opposition can present a credible national alternative, but the current divisions suggest a difficult road ahead.

Opposition Unity Cracks as Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso Diverge on 2027 Strategy Against Tinubu