Analyst has warned Anti-Tinubu Coalition to construct technique and keep away from sentiments.
As momentum gathers forward of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, political analyst and Govt Director of Growth Specs Academy, Prof. Okey Ikechukwu, has cautioned opposition leaders and events forming a coalition below the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to prioritize political construction and strategic planning over sentiment and public discontent.
In an unique interview, Ikechukwu raised urgent issues over the power of the rising coalition which incorporates former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Occasion’s Peter Obi, and former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi to current a unified entrance able to unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Three Aspirants, One Ticket — Who Will Step Down?
With no less than three outstanding figures reportedly eyeing the ADC presidential ticket, the analyst posed a key query: Who will step down for the opposite? He warned that with out clear decision on the problem, the coalition dangers inner collapse earlier than reaching the overall election.
Obi and Amaechi have each hinted at operating for a single time period, aligning with requires the presidency to stay within the South till 2031. President Bola Tinubu, additionally a southerner, is predicted to hunt re-election in 2027, making the political dynamics much more advanced.
Obidient Motion: Robust On-line, Weak on Floor
Prof. Ikechukwu praised the passion of the Obidient Motion, pushed largely by younger Nigerians rallying behind Peter Obi, however warned that on-line reputation alone is not going to safe electoral victory.
“There are not any polling cubicles on the web,” he stated. “The votes are forged at bodily areas, manned by brokers and backed by structured occasion networks. With out constructing actual political constructions on the bottom, the Obidient Motion will as soon as once more ‘take part’ in 2027, however not really contest.”
He suggested the motion to refine its “we no dey give shishi” stance, urging a transparent distinction between refraining from vote-buying and failing to fund important marketing campaign logistics.
PDP’s Inside Disaster and the Anyanwu Controversy
Commenting on the reinstatement of Senator Samuel Anyanwu as Nationwide Secretary of the PDP, Ikechukwu stated the choice could additional alienate the occasion’s South-East base. He recalled an identical episode in 2019, when Atiku Abubakar chosen Peter Obi as his operating mate, just for South-East PDP leaders to disown the choice.
He described the PDP as a celebration that has lengthy “imploded” and is now solely “pretending” to have inner cohesion.
“The PDP will take part in 2027, however I doubt it would contest,” he stated. “Contesting means having the capability and technique to win — one thing the PDP presently lacks.”
Coalition Faces Belief Deficit and Ideological Conflicts
Ikechukwu expressed skepticism over the viability of the ADC-led coalition, pointing to the absence of a shared ideology and previous rivalries amongst its key gamers. He questioned the coalition’s failure to interact stakeholders on the grassroots stage.
“You wish to kind a coalition on the high and, with it, rule Nigeria? That’s drawback primary,” he remarked. “These leaders usually tend to argue about positions — who will get VP — than current credible coverage options to Nigerians.”
On Governor Mbah and Political Defections
Addressing rumors of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah’s defection from the PDP to the APC, Ikechukwu acknowledged that whereas such a transfer may harm his credibility, ideological shifts will not be unusual in Nigerian politics.
“If somebody needs to defect, ask why. What’s mistaken with the occasion they’re leaving?” he added, urging events to handle inner failings earlier than blaming defectors.
Peter Obi’s Problem: Convert Potential into Energy
Ikechukwu acknowledged Peter Obi’s nationwide attraction however insisted that reputation should translate into sensible capability to win.
“Obi has hundreds of thousands of supporters, sure — however did these votes rely the place it mattered? With out brokers, constructions, and ground-level technique, the 2023 expertise will repeat itself,” he stated. “If you happen to set a mousetrap to catch a chimpanzee, it’s possible you’ll lure it — however you’ll lose each the lure and the meat.”
He confused the significance of funding operational wants, coordinating volunteers, and constructing a cohesive marketing campaign framework from ward to nationwide stage.
Suggestions for the Coalition and APC
Ikechukwu provided a roadmap for the opposition coalition:
1. Outline its ideological mission.
2. Develop a transparent zoning construction for high positions.
3. Set up grassroots engagement from ward to nationwide stage.
4. Articulate coverage options, not simply anti-Tinubu rhetoric.
On the APC’s half, he warned towards complacency, advising the ruling occasion to concentrate on coverage supply and grassroots connection quite than celebrating mass defections with out strategic integration.
“If the APC plans a banquet for 50 however 75 present up, and also you haven’t made room, it would descend into chaos,” he famous.
He additionally cautioned that the 2027 political engagement has begun too early, and urged APC leaders to focus much less on early marketing campaign jostling and extra on governance supply.
Prof. Ikechukwu concluded by stressing that anger and on-line applause will not be substitutes for political construction, technique, and substance. “This isn’t a reputation contest. It’s a battle of concepts, constructions, and readiness. If you wish to substitute APC, put together — and put together properly.”