Oshiomhole Dismisses Opposition Prospects Ahead of 2027 Elections
In a fiery political commentary that has stirred reactions across Nigeria’s political landscape, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, delivered a scathing critique of key opposition figures, former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and Labour Party leader Peter Obi.
Speaking
on Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics,” Oshiomhole declared that the
opposition is destined for defeat in the upcoming 2027 presidential elections,
citing what he described as a “history of electoral failure” among its leading
figures.
Oshiomhole’s
remarks were particularly pointed toward Atiku and Obi, whose political
alliance in 2019 and separate bids in 2023 failed to unseat the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC). He argued that their repeated losses, both
together and individually, demonstrate a pattern that will likely persist. “Did
Atiku not run with Obi before and contested against the APC? Were they not
defeated?” he asked rhetorically. He went further to assert, “They have a history
of being defeated together and they have a history of being defeated apart. So,
if they come back together, they will still be defeated”.
In the
2019 elections, Atiku ran under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with Obi as
his running mate, losing to then-President Muhammadu Buhari of the APC. In
2023, Atiku again contested under the PDP while Obi ran on the Labour Party
platform.
Despite
their combined efforts, they were unable to surpass President Bola Tinubu of
the APC, who secured victory with a significant margin. Oshiomhole dismissed
their current coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as
politically impotent, suggesting that their joint tally of over 12 million
votes in 2023 was insufficient and indicative of their waning influence.
While
Oshiomhole did not elaborate extensively on former President Jonathan’s role in
the opposition’s future, his inclusion in the critique signals a broader
dismissal of past leadership and its relevance to Nigeria’s evolving political
dynamics.
The senator’s
comments reflect the APC’s growing confidence in retaining power and its belief
that the opposition lacks the strategic cohesion and public support necessary
to mount a serious challenge in 2027.
The
interview has sparked debate among political analysts and citizens alike, with
some viewing Oshiomhole’s statements as premature bravado, while others
interpret them as a realistic assessment of the opposition’s fractured state.
As
Nigeria inches closer to another pivotal election cycle, the battle lines are
being drawn, and Oshiomhole has made it clear where he believes the momentum
lies.
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