2027 or Never: Why Atiku and Obi Must Unite or Watch Tinubu Bury Their Political Futures. ( Opinion) 

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In the theatre of Nigerian politics, 2027 is shaping up to be a decisive year. The All Progressives Congress (APC), despite its unrelenting failures in governance, stands poised to retain power, not because it has earned the trust of Nigerians, but because its two greatest threats: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr. Peter Obi, may once again allow personal ambition and egos to override national interest. If the former Vice President and the ex-Anambra Governor contest separately under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Labour Party (LP) respectively, they will not only hand President Bola Ahmed Tinubu an effortless re-election; they will jointly dig their political graves.

Let us be frank here: this is a game of numbers, strategy and timing. Tinubu’s APC has done little to improve the socio-economic conditions of Nigerians. From rising inflation to staggering unemployment, from Naira’s collapse to institutionalized corruption, Tinubu’s presidency has delivered more pain than progress. Yet, the opposition remains fragmented, delusional and distracted. This disunity is Tinubu’s biggest asset.

The APC’s Achilles Heel: Poor Governance, since assuming office in May 2023, Tinubu’s administration has steered Nigeria deeper into economic despair. With inflation hovering above 34%, food prices have tripled and the minimum wage, even at the newly proposed ₦70,000, is laughably insufficient. The President’s ill-thought removal of fuel subsidies, without adequate palliatives, plunged millions into instant poverty. Education has suffered widespread strikes, insecurity is at an all-time high and foreign investors are fleeing. According to a March 2025 World Bank report, over 87 million Nigerians now live in extreme poverty, making Nigeria the poverty capital of the world once again.

Yet, Tinubu might still win in 2027; not because he is loved, but because the opposition is stupid.

The Numbers Don’t Lie: 2023 as a Lesson.
The 2023 election results should be a wake-up call. Tinubu won with 8.79 million votes, Atiku followed with 6.98 million and Obi secured 6.1 million. Together, Atiku and Obi racked up over 13 million votes, which is more than 4 million ahead of Tinubu. If that is not enough reason for unity, then what is?

The math is simple: TOGETHER, THEY WIN; APART, THEY LOSE.

Nigeria Cannot Survive Another Tinubu Term.
What exactly will be left of Nigeria by 2031 if Tinubu wins again? The country’s debt is already past ₦120 trillion and the Naira now trades beyond ₦2,000 to the dollar in the parallel market. Over 600,000 Nigerian youths migrated legally and illegally in 2024 alone, fleeing a system that offers no hope.

Tinubu’s second term would consolidate a one-party state, institutionalize suppression of dissent and weaponize state institutions like EFCC and DSS against perceived enemies. The judicial system is already under siege, with the 2023 election tribunal outcome still fresh in national memory. A repeat term will only embolden the worst tendencies of Tinubu’s reign.

As the fiery Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, warned in 2024: “When evil goes unchallenged for too long, it wears the CROWN of LEGITIMACY.”

The Problem With Atiku and Obi is EGO over NATION. There is no polite way to say it; both Atiku and Obi, for all their accomplishments, have failed to put Nigeria ahead of their personal ambitions. In public, they speak of rescuing Nigeria, but in private, they SCHEME SOLO PATHS to POWER.

Atiku, having contested for presidency since 1993, must realize that 2027 is his last realistic shot. He will be over 80 in 2031. Obi, though younger and with more electoral appeal among the youth, cannot single-handedly unseat a ruling party entrenched in power with all the state machinery.

Both men must come to the table, not as rivals, but as partners. As Prof. Pat Utomi said in 2023, “The future of Nigeria cannot be sacrificed on the altar of personal ambition. We need a UNITY of PURPOSE, not a MULTIPLICITY of EGOS.”

A Coalition Is Not a Weakness, It is a Weapon. Those who say a coalition is a sign of weakness forget the 2015 precedent. Tinubu himself engineered the coalition that merged CPC, ACN and factions of PDP to bring Buhari to power. That political marriage, though shaky, was enough to unseat Jonathan. Why can’t Atiku and Obi REPLICATE the same TEMPLATE?

In 2024, the ADC began rebranding itself as a third-force platform. Many Nigerians welcomed this, especially after the LP’s structure showed signs of internal weakness. However, neither ADC nor LP, in isolation, can overcome the APC juggernaut.

The only path to victory is a merger or a strategic alliance that sees either Atiku or Obi step aside for the other, while the second becomes the Vice-Presidential candidate. This formula is not new; it is TESTED and PROVEN.

Time Is Running Out
Coalitions are not built in a day. The groundwork must begin now. VOTER EDUCATION, POLLING AGENTS, GRASSROOTS MOBILIZATION and INEC COMPLIANCE require at least two years of planning. The earlier this coalition is birthed, the stronger its momentum will be.

Nigerians are watching. The youths who marched under the #EndSARS banner in 2020 and those who voted massively for Obi in 2023, are disillusioned. Many feel used, abandoned and betrayed. If Obi and Atiku fail to come together now, the electorate may lose faith entirely and the 2027 election could witness record-low turnout.

This would favor only one man: Tinubu.

If They Fail, They’re Finished. If Tinubu wins again, it is OVER not just for Nigeria, but for the POLITICAL LEGACIES of both Atiku and Obi. A new generation of politicians will rise from the ashes of their failure. The political shelf life of both men will expire. Posterity will remember them not for their vision, but for their inability to act with courage at a defining moment.

The late Chinua Achebe once said, “The trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership.” That failure now stares us in the face; unless UNITY intervenes.

The Bottom Line: One Last Chance to Rewrite History. This is the last train for Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. If they miss it, the next station is irrelevance. Nigeria cannot afford another four years of suffering, of incompetence masked as governance, of propaganda replacing policy.

They must drop their pride, pick up the phone and forge a historic alliance. Let it be known that at a time when Nigeria was on the brink, two men buried their ambitions and rose for the people.

If they don’t, Tinubu will win and it will be their names etched into history; not as heroes, but as the ones who could have saved Nigeria, but did not.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com