- The camps of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi both pushed back against a pressure group’s call for a unified opposition presidential candidate in 2027
- Atiku’s camp said the former vice president has moved past coalition talks and is already presenting policy alternatives to Nigerians
- The NDC backed Peter Obi as the strongest opposition candidate and argued that a single ticket is not the only path to defeating the ruling APC
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja – The political camps of ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra state governor, Peter Obi, have separately rejected calls by a political pressure group, G-100, for the opposition to field one presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
As reported by The Punch on Sunday, August 23, although both camps acknowledge the importance of opposition cooperation, neither appears willing to step aside for the other as talks over a coalition presidential ticket gather momentum. The Cable also reported the development.
Source: Facebook
G-100, convened by Salihu Lukman, a former director-general (DG) of the Progressive Governors Forum, had argued that a united opposition front is the most realistic way to democratically dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The group proposed an August 31 summit to advance that goal.
Atiku camp rules out stepping back
But reacting, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s senior special assistant on public communication, told the press that his principal had already moved past the stage of opposition summits. He stated that Atiku was focused on presenting concrete policy proposals, including his position on petroleum subsidy reform, ahead of the 2027 elections.
Shaibu said:
“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.”
Furthermore, Shaibu opined that Atiku remains the best-prepared opposition figure to lead the country and urged voters to judge candidates on the strength of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential flagbearer’s propositions.
Source: Facebook
NDC backs Obi, rejects single-candidate logic
Obi, who ran on the Labour Party (LP) platform in the 2023 presidential election, has since been ratified as the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC’s) presidential candidate for 2027. His party welcomed G-100’s initiative but disputed the idea that a lone opposition candidate is a prerequisite for defeating an incumbent.
NDC national spokesperson Osa Director pointed to the 2015 election as evidence that a coalition need not swallow all opposition parties to succeed.
“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 Progressive 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,” he said.
Director also made the NDC’s preferred candidate for any eventual coalition ticket clear:
“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.”
Legit.ng reports that the competing stances expose the core challenge facing the opposition ahead of 2027. Even where parties agree on the need to cooperate, settling on who leads a joint ticket involves difficult trade-offs on structure, platform and the sharing of political interests.
Efforts to reach Lukman for an update on the August 31 summit were unsuccessful, as he did not answer calls or reply to messages sent via WhatsApp.
ChatGPT predicts winner of 2027 election
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ChatGPT predicted that the ruling APC would likely win Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, using the Four Horsemen framework.
It cited the current opposition coalition but said the ruling APC has the edge, citing possible low voter turnout and the Tinubu administration’s efforts to stabilise the economy.
Source: Legit.ng