Opposition parties are still undecided on how to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, as presidential front runners are yet to reach a consensus.
Also, opposition leaders are yet to decide whether merger or a coalition, as best method to unseat the ruling party.
The two leading opposition figures, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor, Mr. Peter Obi, have kept their supporters in suspense whether they are interested in the nation’s Number one office or not.
Atiku and Obi came second and third, respectively, in the 2023 presidential election, and therefore pose potential threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
A source disclosed that though there is unanimity among opposition leaders that Tinubu should not be allowed to win a second tenure, “what has not be decided is who replaces him.”
According to him, Atiku stands a better chance to replace Tinubu given his experience, “but age is a hindrance.”
The former Vice President, who will celebrate his 78th birthday this year, will be 80 in 2027.
He, however, said Atiku has not told anybody that he is running for the presidency but there are pressure on him to contest.
Said he:”If you are serious that Tinubu should go, the best candidate to replace him is Atiku Abubakar.
“In 2019, he came second. In 2023, he also came second, because nobody would believe that a Fulani man was leaving villa and another Fulani man was contesting, and that Fulani was strong enough to pull a second position.
“Atiku has the number; he has the political capital but age is a hindrance. Some people have the age. Is Atiku ready to align his political capital with them so that everybody can march together?”
He admitted that Obi is not a political pushover, noting, “he came third, not a distant third but very close third.
“This showed that anything can happen in 2027. That is why we wish Obi and Atiku can come together and contest that election.”
The former Labour Party presidential candidate pulled 6,101,533 votes while Atiku scored 6,984,520 votes. The three candidates won 12 states each.
The source regretted that Obi has not yet given his consent to the merger, and said this is what is delaying the discussion.
Another source disclosed that some former major presidential candidates except Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and former aspirants, who were defeated by Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) primaries, have agreed to work together against the president’s re-election in 2027.
The source was however, not sure the platform they will adopt. “They may register a new political party or they may adopt an existing party, I don’t know. But discussions,” he said.
A source in the Atiku came disclosed that while Atiku’s aides and supporters are telling him to try again, some other forces within the planned coalition were of the view that Atiku’s age posed a threat to the success of the group. He argued that by the 2027 election, Tinubu would be about 75 years officially, while Atiku would be have clocked 80. That has left many wondering what would be the selling point of Atiku over Tinubu to Nigerian youths.
He, however, stated that among the political elite, who are planning for 2027, there was almost a consensus that Tinubu should not be re-elected.
“The major argument against Atiku again is about truncating the eight-year run of the South with a Northerner. Can the South sacrifice its slot for the North? That is probably why Obi has not fully embraced the coalition. He may think that he has a better chance to upstage Tinubu than Atiku, being from the South. But at the end of the day, people who are behind, pushing for a coalition are saying that what matters now is to get a strong candidate that can take out Tinubu, whom everybody believes would be difficult to defeat. That is where the Atiku consideration comes in. But the North/ South issue is a major obstacle for now”, he said.
