FELIX NWANERI writes on how some chieftains and support groups of the ruling and main opposition parties are testing the political waters ahead of 2027 presidential election with endorsement game
The build-up to the 2027 presidential election is gradually gathering momentum despite denials by some of the personalities touted to be interested in the race.
It is against this backdrop that supporters and groups associated with some notable politicians said to have interest in the country’s number one position, have been testing the political waters with endorsement game.
These groups and individuals have also stepped-up consultations with relevant political stakeholders for possible alignment and re-alignment of political forces.
No doubt the moves are meant to feel the pulse of the people regarding the ambitions of their respective principals but they have kick-started the 2027 presidential race. Already caught in the endorsement web are President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 elections and his Labour Paty (LP) counterpart, Mr. Peter Obi.
While the trio and a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as well as other personalities being urged by their supporters to join the presidential race have not publicly declared their intentions, there is no doubt that the political picture will soon become clear given recent developments in the polity.
For instance, some chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), have not only kick-started a second term campaign for President Tinubu but have declared that there will be no vacancy in Aso Rock (as the presidential villa is also known) in 2027.
Recall that the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, blew the lid of Tinubu’s second term bid, while addressing state governors and federal lawmakers, who paid Sallah homage to the President at his residence in Lagos during the Eid el Kabir celebration in April last year.
“As you coast home to victory for a second term, may all the governors seated here also coast home to a second term victory in their states,” Akpabio proclaimed. thereby setting the tone for an early push for Tinubu’s re-election bid. At the gathering were 27 governors from across party divides, former governors and the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly – Senate and House of Representatives.
Other speakers at the event showered praises on the President. They include Vice President Kashim Shettima and Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq, who is the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF). A subsequent declaration by the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje, that there will be no vacancy in Aso Rock further gave credence to the belief that the bid for the President’s re-election has been launched.
A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, who re-echoed the “no-vacancy” position, declared as unachievable, plots by some political parties to unseat President Tinubu in 2027. Reacting to talks of merger and a mega party among some members of the opposition, he said:
“The 2027 presidential election will come and go but the presidency will remain in the South and President Tinubu, by God’s grace, will continue his good job. If former President Muhammadu Buhari could complete his eight years in office, by the grace of God Almighty, the incumbent president will do the same, not even the talk of mega party or merger can stop him.
“The South must also complete the eight years political arrangement and President Bola Tinubu will do that for the South. The South will not fight one another again for another region to benefit. The era of division in Southern Nigeria is gone for good.
The Almighty God will perfect President Tinubu’s health and grant him wisdom to take the country to the Promised Land.” Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, who spoke in like manner in a recent interview, particularly advised politicians of Northern extraction, including Atiku, to wait till 2031 for another presidential bid.
Although he acknowledged that individuals have the right to aspire for positions, he predicated his stand on the power shift arrangement between the North and South. His words: People have a right to form alliances but my candid advice to my people in the North is this:
As you form your alliances, it is okay and fine but make sure your candidates are also from the South because that is one thing that will guarantee our territorial integrity and unity…
I appealed with my brothers in the North to wait till 2031 to run for presidential election.” in what will pass as a veil message to Atiku, Akume said: “It is not yet the time for the North; this has been my appeal to them. Let us not destroy our country because of personal ambition.
If it is the will of God, at 90, you can still be president of this country. If it is not His will, you will never be. But my advice, and this has been consistent, is that let us not rock the boat. Let us allow this power to reside in the South for eight years and from there it will come to the North. To do otherwise, honestly is to destroy this country.”
While the former vice-president, has opted not to discuss his 2027 plans in public, the belief is that he kickstarted the bid immediately after the Supreme Court judgement that affirmed President Tinubu’s election. Many had thought that Atiku would quit politics after his attempt to upturn the President’s election was dashed by the apex court but he vowed to fight on for the sake of the country’s democracy, which according to him, is on a life-support.
His words: “For as long as I breathe; I will continue to struggle with other Nigerians to deepen our democracy. I will continue to work for the return of political and economic restructuring that the country needs.”
The former vice president has also called for opposition political parties to come together and create a more formidable front that will salvage Nigeria’s democracy from sliding into a one-party state.
According to him, a formidable coalition is necessary to address the perceived decline in democratic values and to prevent Nigeria from becoming a de facto one-party system. He also noted that the project of protecting democracy in the country is not about just one man.
His words: “The project of protecting democracy in our country is not about just one man. But the truth of the matter is that our democracy is fast becoming a one-party system; and, of course, you know that when we have a one-party system, we should just forget about democracy. “We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party.
If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn.” Perhaps, it is against this backdrop that there is pressure on Obi to dump his presidential ambition and run as vice presidential candidate to Atiku, who placed second in the 2023 polls with 6.9 million votes.
Those propping Obi to pair with Atiku, are of the view that the duo can defeat APC on the platform of the PDP. A support group of the former vice-president, the Nigerian Youths for Atiku (NYFA), which joined the fray, recently declared that only God can stop him from contesting and winning the 2027 presidential election.
The group’s Director of Publicity, Dare Dada, who stated this in a statement, said: “The APC-led government has not done well in assuaging the sufferings of the masses.”
Obi, on his part, has equally not declared that he will take another shot at the country’s plum job but it is likely that he will contest given his body language and that of his supporters.
The former governor of Anambra State, who garnered 6.1 million votes to place third in the 2023 polls, has not only continued to express optimism over what he described as the possibility of “a new Nigeria,” which the LP and the Obidient Movement fought for in the last elections, but so far walked his talk on keeping the ruling party on its toes as leader of “effective opposition.”
Obi, who has been crisscrossing the country, consulting with relevant stakeholders across political, ethnic and religious divides, had in his reaction to the judgement of the Supreme Court, which affirmed Tinubu’s election, declared that LP has moved into effective opposition due to its policies and the governance modalities the party campaigned for prior to the 2023 presidential election.
On the speculation that he is likely to dump LP for another party, he has continually expressed optimism that the LP will resolve its challenges and forge ahead as one family “There is no such thing as leaving the Labour Party. I am for peace; I like peace. I believe we are one people. Our concentration should be on peace and I believe that we will resolve all situations.”
While some analysts are of the view that that the gladiators, particularly those of the opposition parties, might be using the endorsement strategy to feel the perception of Nigerians on the Tinubu administration as they intensify plans to wrest power from the APC, a chieftain of Igbo apex body, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who spoke on the development, told New Telegraph that it will amount to distraction. He therefore advised the ruling party to concentrate on governance as only Nigerians will determine who leads them in 2027.
“I think that the APC should concentrate more on governance because they have been given the opportunity to lead Nigeria and what they do with the opportunity will determine whether they will return to power or not in 2027. At that time, they will campaign on how they have been able to impact on the lives of Nigerians.”
He added: “The opposition, on its part, can keep itself busy by pointing out what the ruling party ought to do, which it is not doing as well as what they intend to do better if given the opportunity and what should occupy the minds of every Nigerian is how we can deepen our democracy through amendment of the electoral laws by reflecting on the lessons of the 2023 elections, so that we don’t repeat mistakes of the past.
“For instance, now is the time to address the controversy over winning of 25 per cent of the Federal Capital territory before anyone could be declared president and the concession given to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to determine when to transmit results of elections or not.
These and many others are issues we should address now and not about whether there will be vacancy in the presidential villa or not in 2027. It is too early such talks.”
