….Atiku, Obi, coalition with 13m votes, will defeat Tinubu in 2027, says PDP
By Orkula Shaagee
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, yesterday said the only coalition he supports is one that mobilises Nigerian voters against hunger, poverty, and the “ terrible state of healthcare and education in Nigeria.” He also said that he is not desperate for any specific position in the coming political realignment.
“I am not desperate for any position,” he said, stating that
“the only coalition I am interested in is the one against hunger, poverty, and the bad state of healthcare and education in the country.”
Obi spoke just as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, expressed optimism that a coalition involving former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governors Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and other political figures could deliver a swift and decisive victory over President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2027 presidential election.
Osadolor recalled that Atiku and Obi polled a combined vote of over 13 million compared to Tinubu’s eight million in the 2023 presidential election,stating that this demonstrates the potential strength of a united opposition.
“If these (coalition) talks are pursued sincerely and reach a logical conclusion, and if ego doesn’t get in the way among these gentlemen: Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai, then Nigeria could indeed be looking at a winning team.
“If Atiku and Obi truly commit to this alliance, as it appears they are already doing, and with El-Rufai also playing his part, I don’t believe Nigerians would be opposed to such a coalition ticket. Ultimately, this would be a case of Nigerians versus Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC,” Osadolor said.
Obi came third behind President Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election, with many believing that a coalition between him, Atiku, and other opposition parties will defeat Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Pictures of Obi on one knee beside President Tinubu at the Vatican over the weekend had caused a buzz on social media in Nigeria, but the former Anambra governor said that he is not an enemy of the President and only accorded him the necessary courtesies due to his ( Tinubu’s) position in Rome.
Obi emphasised that the only enemy he has in Nigeria are corruption and corrupt leaders who have made life difficult for the people.
Yesterday, however, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Joe Igbokwe, rubbished reports of an alignment between former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, and ex-Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reacting in a post on his official Facebook page yesterday, Igbokwe declared that the alignment will not fly, claiming that it cannot sell.
Igbokwe, one of the supporters of President Tinubu, wrote, “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s childish and primitive deal with the Labour Party is laughable and kindergarten.
It is an act of desperation. It cannot fly and it cannot sell.”
But PDP’s Osadolor firmly disagreed. In an interview with Vanguard, he maintained that a coalition between Atiku, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and other political figures would deliver a swift and decisive victory over Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 presidential election.
He predicted that with such a coalition, the result would be ready by 1 p.m. on election day, stating that the success of the coalition would, however, hinge on genuine commitment, unity, and the ability to harness widespread public discontent.
Osadolor highlighted rising levels of hunger, insecurity, frustration, and depression across Nigeria as critical factors that favour the coalition.
He argued that Nigerians are eager to remove the APC from power, citing historical precedents such as the 2015 elections that removed former President Goodluck Jonathan from power.
“Let’s not forget, two years ago, these two gentlemen together received over 13 million votes, compared to the 8 million votes of Tinubu.
“So, if they join forces, given the rising levels of hunger, insecurity, frustration, and depression in the country, I don’t see why they couldn’t conclude the election by 1 p.m. on election day,” he stated.
For the coalition to succeed, Osadolor stressed the need for effective mobilisation and campaigning, particularly among the youth and marginalised groups.
He called on all stakeholders to set aside personal ambitions and work together to present a clear alternative to the APC.