NewStats: 3,262,808 , 8,178,214 topics. Date: Tuesday, 03 June 2025 at 04:20 PM 385s3p

By Farooq A. Kperogi

There is supposed to be a formidable coalition of powerful regional and national political forces working to upstage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027. But this coalition isn’t coalescing and appears to be crumbling before it has even had a chance to be formed. Three major reasons for this.

The first reason is what I call the aspirational collision of the major movers of the coalition. By that, I mean the two major power blocs behind the coalition have irreconcilably divergent ideas about who should occupy the upper end of the ticket the coalition will produce.

PDP’s Atiku Abubakar basically wants a recreation of the 2019 electoral lineup. He would be the presidential candidate, and Labor Party’s Peter Obi would be the vice-presidential candidate. It is predicated on the assumption that Atiku Abubakar, by virtue of his primordial identity, will be a magnet for northern votes.

If he is the only prominent northern candidate in 2027, he will win both Muslim and Christian votes in the region, as northern Christians trust him more than any northern Muslim politician of his generation on of his remarkable brodedness, though his close association with Nasir El-Rufai, widely regarded by many northern Christians as a crass, unremorseful Christophobe because of his past actions and utterances, undermines this appeal.

Peter Obi is supposed to bring the enthusiasm and votes he got from the 2023 presidential election to the coalition. However, it appears that although Peter Obi isn’t personally ill-disposed to being Atiku’s running mate again, his base in the South would deplete considerably should he choose to play second fiddle to a northerner this time.

The dramatic rise in his political capital in 2023 was entirely the consequence of his being the only notable Southern Christian presidential candidate in the race. Plus, the prevalent sentiment in the South is that Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure was the North’s chance to rule. The next eight years from 2023 is the South’s turn.

If Obi were to accept being Atiku’s running mate, he would be seen by people in the South, including his native Southeast, as a betrayer, as a quisling, of the region. And that would mark the irretrievable diminution of his political capital.

Yet, it is unconstitutional for Atiku to be anybody’s running mate, having been a two-term vice president before. So, there is zero possibility of Atiku agreeing to be running mate to Obi, whom he brought to national limelight by choosing him as his running mate in 2019, against the recommendation of major players in the PDP at the time.

This is an unresolvable ime. As much as the South justifiably thinks it is its turn to produce the president until 2031, the North has been unsuccessfully calling attention to the disadvantage it has suffered as a result of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s death, which prematurely returned power to the South for six years.

The Atiku group’s carrot to Obi—to accept being VP in exchange for Atiku serving only one term—is informed by this logic. It somehow compensates the North’s six-year loss and promises a return of power to the Southeast, which has never produced a president (or even a vice president) since the start of the Fourth Republic.

Nevertheless, if the chatter I see on social media is any guide, Obi’s base is unpersuaded by this. Were Obi to accept being a running mate to Atiku in 2027, many Obi ers say they would rather sit out the election or, worse, vote for Tinubu to ensure that the presidency remains in the South.

This is complicated by the reality that, were Atiku to stay out of the 2027 presidential contest and endorse Obi, it’s unlikely to improve Obi’s electoral fortunes in parts of the North that rejected him in 2023.

The second reason the coalition is unlikely to succeed is that key northern politicians who are already positioning themselves to be Tinubu’s successor in 2031 are either not part of it or are in it to undercut it from within. There are two reasons for this.

First, an Atiku presidency would mean their aspirations to be president would be deferred by more years than a Tinubu second term. Plus, even if Atiku honors his alleged pledge to serve for only one term (which is never a guarantee, given the intoxication of power), he would hand over power to the South. That counts them out.

Second, opposing Tinubu’s second term by ing a coalition would ensure that they take themselves out of consideration for Tinubu’s in 2031. It is self-seeking political calculation that assumes the nature and form of the outlines of the future.

The third reason the coalition would have trouble taking off is Tinubu’s own determined, single-minded, well-oiled—even state-sanctioned—effort to destroy it. I’ll only talk about one effort because, while many people may be aware of it, only a few seem to be conscious of it.

Tinubu is deploying a political propaganda tactic called the bandwagon technique. This method encourages people to act or think a certain way because “everyone else is doing it.” It appeals to the human desire to be part of the majority or to avoid being left out.

It’s a powerful technique because it leverages social pressure and the fear of missing out (FOMO). The unceasing gale of political defections of prominent political actors across the country is intended to cause Tinubu’s opponents to question their judgement and give up their opposition to him.

Even Afrobeats music icon Davido—who won well-deserved plaudits and brownie points from Igbo people a few days ago for telling a Yoruba Twitter interlocutor who questioned his outward symbolic associations with Igbo that he is “Igbo by blood”—appears to be part of this bandwagon technique.

Video records of him visiting Tinubu in the Presidential Villa and introducing well-known Igbo entertainment figures as “APC ” fit the bandwagon method perfectly. Here’s a man whom the president’s media team had tackled vigorously for his criticism of Tinubu’s government, whose uncle is a PDP governor, and who publicly identifies with the Igbo (a core stronghold of opposition to Tinubu), now openly identifying with the president at the same time that major political players in opposition parties are switching to APC. That’s unlikely to be random.

When you add this to the predominant sentiment in Nigeria that incumbents don’t lose elections, even if they actually lose them (with the exception of Goodluck Jonathan), you are looking at a systematic, coordinated effort to construct the rhetoric of inevitability around Tinubu’s second term.

A coalition of politicians who don’t offer or promise anything different from Tinubu and who have irreconcilable asymmetries in their expectations of what the coalition should produce will have a hard time overcoming Tinubu’s strategies.

This is sad because, as I previously pointed out, the conditions in the country should preclude Tinubu from even being considered for a second term. A May 24, 2025, special report I read in Vanguard by Dr. Dele Sobowale titled “Tinubu at Midterm: Who are the People Gov’t is Satisfying?” was particularly striking.

Sobowale's Consultancy conducted a nationwide survey to assess public perception of the federal government's performance. The study involved a brief verbal questionnaire posed to Nigerians across all six geopolitical zones, cutting across age, ethnicity, religion, gender, and income levels.

Participants were asked two simple yes-or-no questions: whether their lives were better now compared to two years ago, and whether they expected things to improve in the next two years.

The findings were stark. Only 3 percent of respondents said their lives had improved, while an overwhelming 97 percent said they had not. Even more striking was the pessimism about the future: just 1 percent expressed hope for improvement in the next two years, while 99 percent did not.

These results reflect a deep sense of dissatisfaction and growing despair among the Nigerian populace. In a normal setting, no government that has enabled this much misery index and that is burdened by this heavy perceptual burden should even run for a second term. But this is Nigeria.

https://www.farooqkperogi.com/2025/05/why-anti-tinubu-coalition-isnt.html?m=1

The opposition who seem to be threats are quickly identified and bribed with crazy money. If they prove stubborn, they get killed.

Look at the way fubara's former staff went to abuja and was made to lie against him on camera. Even his wife couldn't recognize her husband. The man had to take a chill when Whatsapp screenshot of him asking for money was leaked.

Who said the coalition is crumbling?

mrvitalis:
Who said the coalition is crumbling?

Is there any coalition? Stop deceiving yourself. Even the writer of the report will vote Tinubu in 2027

mrvitalis:
Who said the coalition is crumbling?

It may not be crumbling, but there is no obvious enthusiasm for it.

Most Nigerians are not talking about it or appear to be interested.

To be fair, it isn't just about the coalition, it is a thing about politics and politicians in general.

Most Nigerians are just tired after several decades of unfulfilled promises.

As for the coalition, when Nigerians look at those behind it, they see the same set of politicians who have been in power in one role or the other for the last 25 years, and did nothing.

You can't blame people for their lack of enthusiasm.

The coalition stuff is putting the cart before the horse.

Their strategy is premise on selfishness, ego and mistrust.
Can everyone lay down their ambition, set the rules together and democratically elect a candidate by simple majority?

It like they haven't even bought the ingredients to make a cake, the cake is even yet to be baked , yet they are already calling for the portion of the cake.

ko le work. Commentor AkA Sunday DAGBORU is one of our spy there . We won't REST until we SCATTER/COLLAPSED their EVIL agenda ..



TILUMBU must complete his 8 years..

OBI / ATIKU are FREE to contest in 2032

Coalition don't even trust themselves, coalition looking at each other with suspicious eyes and plan B in their minds

RichBoy247:


Is there any coalition? Stop deceiving yourself. Even the writer of the report will vote Tinubu in 2027

They never accept the obvious. One of them was arguing blindly when I made the point, a few days ago, Kperogi has also now stated quoted directly below.

Below that is a quoted section of my post here where I make precisely same point. We leave it to the emotional, sentimental and prejudiced folks, with compromised thinking, to continue fantasizing.

The second reason the coalition is unlikely to succeed is that key northern politicians who are already positioning themselves to be Tinubu’s successor in 2031 are either not part of it or are in it to undercut it from within. There are two reasons for this.

First, an Atiku presidency would mean their aspirations to be president would be deferred by more years than a Tinubu second term. Plus, even if Atiku honors his alleged pledge to serve for only one term (which is never a guarantee, given the intoxication of power), he would hand over power to the South. That counts them out.

Second, opposing Tinubu’s second term by ing a coalition would ensure that they take themselves out of consideration for Tinubu’s in 2031. It is self-seeking political calculation that assumes the nature and form of the outlines of the future.

https://nairaland.isosite.org/8438630/tinubu-names-yabuku-dogara-ncgc/2#135555911

No sensible Northern Young Turk will do 'abobaku' for Atiku, El Rufai and co they all view as disgruntled, bitter and vengeful Northerners who want to co-opt others into their dead union.

Many of these guys see the possibility of replacing Tinubu in 2031. What is their profit helping Atiku and El Rufai etal size power when that would put their ambitions and dreams on ice till 2043 I.e Atiku 2027 to 2035 and A southerner 2035 to 2043?

It's not about being bitter alone to then begin speaking as if your hearts desire will become reality. Make it make sense and tell us the profit for many Northern leaders to Atiku, El Rufai, Malami etal.

We were only down this road in 2022 to 2023 so I am sometimes taken aback with the display of amnesia from some of you or perhaps it is deficit of logical thinking that is the issue.

That Atiku, El Rufai are making the most noise today does not mean they will be the most potent and influential players when the action begins in 2026.

Toh

They should be preparing for 2031

DeLaRue:


It may not be crumbling, but there is no obvious enthusiasm for it.

Most Nigerians are not talking about it or appear to be interested.

To be fair, it isn't just about the coalition, it is a thing about politics and politicians in general.

Most Nigerians are just tired after several decades of unfulfilled promises.

As for the coalition, when Nigerians look at those behind it, they see the same set of politicians who have been in power in one role or the other for the last 25 years, and did nothing.

You can't blame people for their lack of enthusiasm.

Have you taken any poll to determine that?
What exactly should the coalition have done that they haven't done

APC is just scared they don't know the next move of the coalition... They don't know the party they want to use.. The configuration of the candidates

RichBoy247:


Is there any coalition? Stop deceiving yourself. Even the writer of the report will vote Tinubu in 2027

Farouq has been pro APC so what else do you expect

If there is no coalition then you and APC should stop stressing yourselves na

Coalition from hell..

Amaechi want to be Vice President

Coalition of confusion

.. that's why they ain't coalescing

it's just because the number of bullion vans have increased

This man os always camouflaging and unreliable.

Brilliant writer but appears to lack principle

This was exactly my position. The major actors have different ideology to governance and want to be the major actor.
The interest will be most conflicting among their fan base.

Coalition or No Coalition, Tinubu is a Goner.
The North he is planning to rig with detest anything about Tinubu due to the hardship and suffering they are currently facing.
Wike completely nailed Tinubu's coffin in the North by saying Northerners will beg for 2k to vote Tinubu, that message is currently circulated everywhere in the North.
All over the country people have now realized how incompetent Tinubu is and can't wait to vote him out.

Tinubu is a master at the game but the selfishness of an average politician is also a major factor. Did anyone think that if Tinubu had refused to allow Buhari be the flag bearer of the newly formed APC in 2015, APC would have wrestled power from PDP? Nope. That was a wise and smart calculation and a very good compromise but today, Atiku can’t deputize Obi or anoint someone to replace him like Tinubu did Osinbajo and Obi is also feeling too big to deputize Atiku. If they can’t reach such a selfless compromise, they are only wasting their time as along 2027 is concerned!

Oponu, how many have they killed since they assumed power?

delugadou:
The opposition who seem to be threats are quickly identified and bribed with crazy money. If they prove stubborn, they get killed.

Look at the way fubara's former staff went to abuja and was made to lie against him on camera. Even his wife couldn't recognize her husband. The man had to take a chill when Whatsapp screenshot of him asking for money was leaked.

All will be well

we are waiting for dem

THE COUNSEL OF AHITOPHEL SHALL FALL

IF OBI IS NOT ON THE BALLOT AS PRESIDO, THEN LET TINUBU COMPLETE HIS 8 YEARS

AREWA GO SEE SHEGE

Gathering/association of confused people

RichBoy247:


Is there any coalition? Stop deceiving yourself. Even the writer of the report will vote Tinubu in 2027

You are under a serious illusion, wishing you speedy recovery

Imagination wan kill this one .

delugadou:
The opposition who seem to be threats are quickly identified and bribed with crazy money. If they prove stubborn, they get killed.

Look at the way fubara's former staff went to abuja and was made to lie against him on camera. Even his wife couldn't recognize her husband. The man had to take a chill when Whatsapp screenshot of him asking for money was leaked.