By Biola Alebiosu
Lagos, Nigeria
Nigeria stands at a critical crossroads ahead of the 2027 general elections. While the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), under President Bola Tinubu, confronts widespread public criticism over severe economic hardship, it retains powerful incumbency advantages, control of state institutions, and a clear intent to consolidate power. Fragmented opposition parties, burdened by internal divisions and legal vulnerabilities, risk gifting the APC another term, and potentially enabling deeper democratic erosion, unless the oppositions unite decisively behind a credible, stable platform. The Allied People’s Movement (APM), led by National Chairman Alhaji Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, with Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde as its presidential candidate and strong support from figures like Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, offers that viable path.
You would recall that In April 2026, major opposition figures, including Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, and leaders from various parties, gathered at a National Summit in Ibadan, Oyo State, hosted by Governor Seyi Makinde. The summit produced the Ibadan Declaration, in which participants resolved to set aside personal and parochial interests in favour of fielding a single presidential candidate to challenge the APC. The communiqué highlighted the existential threat of APC dominance and the urgent collective responsibility to rescue Nigeria’s democracy and its long-suffering citizens.
This was more than rhetoric. The 2023 elections demonstrated how vote fragmentation among opposition candidates handed victory to the APC. The Ibadan participants committed to one strong ticket. APM, through its grand alliance with PDP elements and its solid organisational structure, stands as the most practical vehicle to translate that commitment into reality. Governor Makinde’s emergence as the APM presidential flagbearer embodies the summit’s spirit of unity and aligns with Nigeria’s informal power rotation principle.
Several prominent opposition platforms face debilitating legal challenges that threaten not only their 2027 participation but their post-election survival
Amonsgt them, the ADC (African Democratic Congress), Atiku Abubakar’s adopted platform has endured repeated deregistration threats and leadership crises. A Federal High Court recently ordered the deregistration of the ADC and other parties for failing constitutional performance thresholds, injecting persistent uncertainty despite ongoing appeals. Such rulings risk invalidating nominations, primaries, or even future electoral victories.
While recently, the Peter Obi’s backee NDC (Nigeria Democratic Congress) faced a hurdles as Federal High Court in Lokoja set aside an earlier ruling, directing INEC to deregister the NDC over logo infringement and procedural flaws in a suit reportedly filed by PMP. Obi has called it a temporary setback, but the distraction and legal risks remain substantial, while the PDP remains split between factions notably the Wike and Turaki blocs, with the latter reportedly aligning with APM.
By contrast, APM under Makinde and Dantalle rests on firmer legal and organisational foundations. Its grand alliance, governance track record in Oyo State, and support from leaders like Bala Mohammed position it as a reliable anchor that minimises risks of litigation, disqualification, or nullified mandates.
Atiku Abubakar, a northerner with multiple presidential runs, faces the reality of Nigeria’s informal North-South power rotation ethos. After eight years of northern leadership under the late President Muhammadu Buhari and Tinubu’s ongoing southern term, equity favours a southern candidate. Makinde, a Yoruba leader advocating for a single six-year presidential term (or a disciplined four-year tenure followed by orderly handover), offers a fresh approach that respects rotation while broadening national appeal and avoiding alienation of southern voters.
Some analysts argue that Makinde’s bold opposition to a fellow Yoruba incumbent serves a higher purpose: protecting the South West’s political image from being tarnished by perceived poor national performance. By presenting a credible alternative from the region, the opposition can offer Nigerians a better choice and safeguard the zone’s political legacy for posterity.
Makinde has built credibility through pragmatic governance in Oyo State, emphasising infrastructure development, security, and citizen welfare, qualities urgently required at the national level.
Under the current administration, Nigerians have faced unprecedented economic pain. The abrupt removal of fuel subsidies triggered a dramatic surge in petrol prices, rising from approximately ₦175–₦238 in 2023 to over ₦1,300 per litre by mid-2026 — an increase exceeding 600%. This has driven galloping inflation, eroded purchasing power, inflated transportation and food costs, and plunged millions deeper into poverty.
Compounding this are erratic policies, exchange rate instability, business collapses, soaring youth unemployment, and widespread hunger. The fuel crisis is no abstraction, it forces families to skip meals, students out of school, and fuels insecurity born of desperation.
A second Tinubu term heightens these dangers. Strong incumbency could accelerate consolidation toward a de facto one-party state, including potential constitutional amendments to extend term limits beyond the current two-term cap. Such moves risk entrenching power, marginalising the North in 2031 and beyond, and weakening national cohesion. A divided opposition would only facilitate this outcome.
Rather than dissipating time, financial resources, and organisational efforts on legally precarious or factionally weakened platforms such as segments of the PDP, NDC, or ADC, aspirants and candidates should strategically defect to and align with APM. By keying into INEC’s substitution and replacement windows, they can seamlessly integrate their ambitions into a stronger, unified structure. This approach not only safeguards their personal political futures but also maximises the collective chance of defeating the APC. In the current climate of legal uncertainties and regulatory timelines, joining a stable platform like APM represents the most pragmatic and effective pathway to realising broader aspirations while contributing to national redemption.
APM’s approach centres on grassroots mobilisation, issue-based campaigns, and inclusive alliances. With Makinde leading, it is well-positioned to challenge APC strongholds, including Lagos State, FCT, and in other regions, through proven governance results and coalition strength. Success demands more than a presidential candidate, it requires coordinated wins at gubernatorial, legislative, and state levels. A unified front under APM delivers the coherence and resource synergy needed to counter the APC effectively.
Continuing to scatter efforts across legally fragile platforms would repeat past errors. Personal ambitions must now subordinate to national interest, as pledged in Ibadan.
Leaders and supporters from Atiku’s camp, Obi’s movement, Kwankwaso’s base, and other factions must honour the Ibadan Declaration. Rallying behind Seyi Makinde on the APM platform is not capitulation but enlightened strategic realism. It represents the strongest vehicle to defeat the APC, ease citizens’ suffering, protect democracy, and avert authoritarian consolidation.
Nigeria’s future hinges on unity of purpose over ego. The moment to consolidate behind APM is now. Fragmentation remains a gift to the ruling party, and a profound betrayal of the Nigerian people’s resilience and aspirations.
