Ahead of the 2027 general elections, leading Nigerian opposition figures have intensified their bid to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) by launching fresh individual presidential campaigns.
In a series of coordinated political moves, heavyweights from various political blocks officially stepped forward this week, offering themselves as alternatives to what they described as an era of unprecedented economic hardship brought on by the current administration.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, led the charge by submitting their presidential nomination forms under the umbrella of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Atiku described his campaign as a national movement rooted in a collective resolve to rescue Nigeria from despair.
Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation, launched a direct attack on President Tinubu’s ‘Emilokan’ (it’s my turn) philosophy, arguing that identity and turn-by-turn politics have plunged the citizenry into severe economic misery, and urged Nigerians to instead vote based on competence, merit, and past performance.
Simultaneously, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, announced his alignment with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and made a striking pledge to the electorate.
Speaking on television, Obi declared that if elected, he would serve only a single four-year term to ensure national stability, stating he would not stay a day longer “even with a gun to his head.”
Drawing parallels to global statesmen like Nelson Mandela, Obi heavily criticized the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, particularly its borrowing trends and the skyrocketing cost of living, noting that the country has entered one of its most difficult historical periods.
The political shakeup expanded further in the South-West, where Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, formally declared his 2027 presidential ambition under the banner of the newly formed “Reset Nigeria Movement.”
Speaking at a mega rally at the historic Mapo Hall in Ibadan, Makinde announced a grand alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM).
The governor warned that Nigeria’s democracy is facing a critical threat of transitioning into a one-party state due to persistent external interference in opposition affairs, maintaining that a robust multi-party system is non-negotiable for true democratic governance.
Supporting the coalition, prominent political leaders, including former Osun State Governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola, and Oyo State PDP Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, described the alliance as a necessary response to unfulfilled campaign promises made during the 2023 elections.
They emphasized that worsening economic realities and widespread public dissatisfaction have effectively united the opposition.
With multiple major parties and seasoned politicians coalescing but in different fronts, the stage is set for a highly competitive and deeply consequential referendum on the ruling APC’s governance come 2027.
