ALL EYES ON ATIKU, AS PETER OBI DECLARES TO CONTEST 2027 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

. How opposition won 60.87% in 2023 but lost presidency to APC

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s standard bearer in the 2023 Presidential election, has thrown his hat into the ring for the 2027 presidential election. Obi made this known on Sunday night when he appeared on X space to answer questions from his supporters. However, his declaration has raised concerns about the potential impact on the opposition’s chances in the upcoming election.

If Obi and Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in 2023, decide to run in 2027, analysts fear it could lead to a repeat of the 2023 election scenario, where the opposition votes were split, handing victory to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In the last election, Atiku Abubakar secured 6,984,520 votes, while Peter Obi garnered 6,101,533 votes, totalling 13,086,053 votes. Rabiu Kwakwanso of the NNPP scored 1,496,687 votes, which raised the major opposition total to 14,582,740 votes, or 60.87 percent of the total votes cast.
In contrast, President Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes, or 38.61 percent of the total vote cast to win the election.

If the votes for Atiku, Obi and indeed other key opposition candidates like Kwakwanso were combined, the total would have eclipsed President Tinubu’s tally. This raises questions about the potential consequences of both Obi and Atiku running in 2027, potentially splitting the opposition vote and handing victory to the incumbent party once again.
As the 2027 election approaches, all eyes are on Atiku Abubakar and other potential candidates to see how the opposition will fare in the polls.

Obi, however, remains optimistic about his chances, promising to serve only one term if elected and prioritizing security, education, and poverty eradication in his first 100 days in office. He also criticized President Tinubu’s recent visit to St. Lucia, questioning the president’s priorities given the country’s current problems.

He said he is open to coalition talks and announced that even if that restricts his term to four years, it would be acceptable to him. “If there is any form of agreement that will restrict me to four years in office, I will comply with the agreement and be ready to leave office by 28th May, 2031,” he said.

Obi highlighted his commitment to rescuing Nigeria from its current challenges, including insecurity, economic stagnation, and poverty. “If the coalition is not about stopping the killings in Benue, Zamfara, how to revive our economy, how to make our industries productive, how to put food on the tables of Nigerians… Count me out,” he stated.

The former presidential candidate also criticized President Tinubu’s recent visit to St. Lucia, questioning the president’s priorities given the country’s current problems. “In two years, Tinubu has not spent one night in any state in Nigeria apart from Lagos, yet he is going to spend eight nights in St. Lucia, a place smaller than Ajegunle,” Obi remarked.

On the Labour Party’s situation, Obi said they are working to get INEC to endorse the Nenadi Usman-led Labour Party based on the Supreme Court ruling. He also emphasized the need for a strong opposition in party politics and promised to prioritize security, education, and poverty eradication in his first 100 days in office if elected.

Obi concluded by reiterating his determination to bring stability to Nigeria, emphasizing that leaders should focus on fixing the country’s issues rather than engaging in frivolous activities. “Imagine in this country, people are dying in Benue, Borno, and our leaders are commissioning bus stops and holidaying,” he said.