- Amaechi backs Atiku as Utomi insists on Obi-Kwankwaso ticket
- Kwankwaso rejects pressure to step aside for Atiku
- Adebayo’s camp warns coalition talks started too late
Opposition leaders pushing for a common presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election are facing growing divisions, with supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi trading accusations, while other presidential aspirants insist they will not abandon their ambitions for a consensus arrangement.
The parties reportedly under consideration are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP).
However, competing ambitions, distrust among political leaders and disagreements over who should lead the proposed coalition are threatening to undermine the effort.
An influential member of the enlarged coalition, convened by Salihu Lukman, told The Guardian that the group was adopting a gradual approach to selecting a candidate, allowing the parties to test their popularity before making a final decision.
The source said APM presidential candidate and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, alongside SDP candidate Prince Adewole Adebayo, believed they remained credible alternatives to Tinubu.
Both reportedly argued that excluding them from the presidential contest could weaken the opposition and give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) an advantage, particularly in the South-West.
The coalition is considering reducing the number of contenders to five and assessing their electoral strength closer to the election before settling on a consensus candidate.
Makinde has urged Tinubu to withdraw from the presidential race and take a deserved rest, arguing that the South-West needs a credible alternative.
Adebayo, meanwhile, has warned against alliances built solely around removing the incumbent, insisting that any coalition must offer Nigerians a better quality of life.
He also challenged politicians and citizens to examine their own roles in the country’s political problems rather than concentrating exclusively on criticising the president.
The divisions became more pronounced as former Rivers State governor and ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi backed an Atiku-led ticket, describing it as the opposition coalition’s strongest route to victory.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Calabar, Cross River State, Amaechi argued that Atiku had the clearest electoral pathway, based on geographical spread and voting patterns.
He called on the G100 to persuade other parties to rally behind the ADC candidate.
But Professor Pat Utomi, convener of the Big Tent Coalition, maintained that he would not support a consensus arrangement that did not revolve around the Obi-Kwankwaso pairing under the NDC.
The opposing positions have further complicated negotiations, with influential figures advocating different candidates while the coalition struggles to establish a formula acceptable to all sides.
Lukman has acknowledged that distrust among the parties and their supporters remains a major obstacle.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, he warned that the opposition could fail to achieve a united front if the trust deficit was not addressed.
He also urged candidates to consider the consequences of contesting separately, arguing that personal ambition should not take precedence over the broader national interest.
The disagreement has also spilled into a public exchange between the ADC Presidential Campaign Council and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who is Obi’s running mate under the NDC.
Kwankwaso has ruled out withdrawing from the presidential race in favour of Atiku, insisting that his joint ticket with Obi has the capacity to defeat the APC in 2027.
He also questioned Atiku’s ability to provide better leadership, despite the widespread criticism of the Tinubu administration.
The ADC Presidential Campaign Council, however, accused Kwankwaso of directing too much of his criticism at Atiku and the ADC instead of concentrating on the ruling party.
In a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the council argued that Nigerians were more concerned about economic hardship, insecurity, high fuel prices and the depreciation of the naira than exchanges between opposition politicians.
It questioned why Kwankwaso appeared more interested in attacking the ADC than holding the APC accountable for its record in government.
The council also challenged him to clarify his political priorities, insisting that the opposition should focus on mobilising Nigerians against the ruling party.
Kwankwaso responded by accusing the ADC campaign council of spreading misinformation to undermine the NDC and its growing political influence.
He dismissed suggestions that the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket was working to advance Tinubu’s re-election or planning to align with the ADC at the last minute.
“Let me state clearly and unequivocally: we will not withdraw our candidature for the ADC or any other party. We remain confident in our capacity, competence, and readiness to lead Nigeria,” he said.
The former Kano governor maintained that the NDC ticket had the credibility and nationwide appeal needed to challenge the APC, ruling out any retreat from its presidential ambition.
Adding to the concerns over opposition unity, Mark Adebayo, Chief Communications Adviser to the Adebayo-Bugaje Presidential Campaign, said the parties may have delayed efforts to build a coalition capable of defeating Tinubu.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja, he argued that the opposition should have started developing the political structures and grassroots networks needed for a common ticket at least three years ago.
“The conversations around different political parties coming together to support a single presidential ticket came too late in the day, in my opinion. That’s a conversation that should have begun at least three years ago by building critical political infrastructures to achieve that,” he said.
He added that disagreements over political and governance ideologies posed another challenge to the proposed alliance.
Despite the obstacles, Adebayo expressed confidence that Prince Adewole Adebayo could defeat Tinubu through mass mobilisation and a broad-based movement against the current system of governance.
With several aspirants defending their ambitions, prominent coalition figures backing different candidates and public exchanges intensifying, the opposition faces a difficult task in agreeing on a common presidential ticket.
While the G100 continues to pursue a consensus arrangement, the growing disagreements suggest that reaching an agreement may prove as challenging as mounting a united campaign against Tinubu in 2027.
