A South-West socio-political group, Yoruba Ronu Leadership Forum, and the apex Igbo cultural organisation Ohanaeze Ndigbo have shared their perspectives on whether former Vice President Atiku Abubakar or former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi can unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Akin Malaolu, president of Yoruba Ronu, heralded Atiku’s recent resignation from the PDP as “bold and strategic,” suggesting it positions him to exploit the perceived failures of the Tinubu government and the worsening economic situation.
He said “Tinubu squandered the goodwill he inherited from former President Muhammadu Buhari’s northern support base and the so‑called 12 million ‘block votes.’ Atiku is now strategically positioned to step into that vacuum and reap what Tinubu failed to consolidate in 2023.”
He criticised Tinubu’s policy approach as applying a “Lagos and South-West mindset” to national politics, which he believes alienated northern stakeholders, including Nasir El‑Rufai and Vice President Kashim Shettima. Malaolu added:
“Atiku’s exit from PDP is the final piece that could dismantle Tinubu’s hold on power. … The economic hardship, growing discontent in the North, and Atiku’s likely alliance with the ADC, backed by support from the South‑South and Southeast, create a strong front that could sweep Tinubu out in 2027.”
Still, he allowed that Tinubu retains “a narrow window to reclaim public confidence,” provided he effectively tackles insecurity and the economic crisis.
In an Abakaliki statement, Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s Deputy National President, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, advised that attention should shift to Peter Obi rather than Atiku.
He asserted that Obi “still commands overwhelming influence in the South-East” and predicted a repeat of the 2023 voting pattern in 2027 if Tinubu fails to resolve insecurity in the region and release detained IPOB leader Nnamdi Kanu.
Isiguzoro reflected on the changed political terrain following Muhammadu Buhari’s death, stating:
“The political ascendancy of Mr Peter Obi presents a formidable challenge that the Presidency must address with renewed vigour and strategic recalibration.”
He warned; “Failure to adapt and respond effectively to the pressing needs of the nation particularly in the realms of economic policy reform, national restructuring, infrastructural development, security enhancement, food security and mostly release of Kanu will severely undermine President Tinubu’s prospects and give Obi an edge if he becomes a presidential ticket.”
He also emphasised Igbo community aspirations like the creation of a sixth South‑East state, reopening the Calabar seaport, completing federal roads, modernising railway infrastructure, and releasing Nnamdi Kanu.
Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s presidential candidate, accused some coalition figures of corruptly “hijacking” the party. He claimed that state chairmen are being offered up to ₦20 million to resign. He warned:
“This fake coalition is staging events in different parts of the country, where they pay poor Nigerians to say they are decamping from other parties to the ADC.”
He challenged the coalition’s intentions, noting:
“Our constitution still doesn’t allow you to assume those offices. … If you succeed in paying off all the ADC party officials … what next?”
He further alleged that former Vice President Atiku has orchestrated this attempt:
“Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar … orchestrated this charade for his personal benefit. … He almost truncated President Obasanjo’s return for a second term … After eight years of late President Buhari … Atiku believes it was morally right for him to be the presidential flag bearer of the PDP …”
Kachikwu insisted ADC was not for sale:
“The ADC is not for sale and is not an old people’s home. We are a party that believes Nigeria needs fresh faces, fresh ideals and fresh ideas. This current political war is the war of the old for the old; it is not our fight.”
Samuel Ortom, former Benue State governor and member of the PDP’s G5 bloc, explained his opposition to Atiku in 2023, stating that the G5 believed the presidency should rotate to the South after Buhari’s eight-year term. On Arise TV, Ortom said:
“I acted as I did because we had expected the PDP to uphold equity, fairness, and justice … When the majority of PDP members supported a northern candidate, we deemed it unjust.”
As chairman of the PDP’s zoning committee, he said “I presented the committee’s report as it was, and the NEC made the final call. I couldn’t override the collective decision.”
