2027: Opposition must unite behind one candidate to defeat Tinubu, Lukman says
Public affairs analyst and opposition chieftain, Salihu Lukman, has called on opposition parties to unite behind a single presidential candidate ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election.
Lukman argued that continued division among opposition leaders could strengthen President Bola Tinubu’s bid for re election.
In a statement issued at the weekend, he said opposition parties must combine their strengths and resources if they hope to secure enough votes to defeat the incumbent.
According to him, past elections in Nigeria and other countries have shown that a fragmented opposition often gives an advantage to the ruling party.
He said, “The experience of elections in Nigeria and elsewhere has repeatedly demonstrated that a divided opposition often strengthens the incumbent.
“When parties competing for the same broad constituency fragment their energies, resources and votes, they risk turning their differences into an unintended advantage for those they seek to replace.”
Lukman maintained that opposition parties should view cooperation as a strategic necessity rather than an option.
“Division is a choice. Cooperation must now become a strategy,” he stated.
He argued that presenting a single presidential candidate would give opposition parties a stronger platform to challenge the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The call comes as opposition parties, including the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Allied Peoples Movement, APM, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, prepare to meet on Monday, August 31, to discuss plans for a united challenge against Tinubu’s re election bid.
