Africa (Commonwealth Union) _ The air is charged with political tension in Nigeria, but the 2027 elections remain two years away. This premature frenzy is an offshoot of the country’s deep socio-political discontentment. But even in the midst of the cacophony, there is one enduring reality: very little could indeed change when the ultimate dust finally settles. The passings and exits of key political leaders such as erstwhile President Muhammadu Buhari and the departure of Atiku Abubakar from the PDP have certainly shaken up the political setup. But the big question is whether Nigeria’s fractured opposition is indeed strong enough to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The hitherto ruling PDP is today on life support, sustained by indifferent and self-serving “care givers.” Meanwhile, an existing coalition of familiar faces sets itself up to be the saviour of the country. Leading the charge are veteran presidential aspirant Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, another seasoned but unsuccessful politician. To this potpourri, join El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, career politicians with very long CVs but minimal legacy in transformation. Collectively, their ambitions are incongruent, inconsistent, and unbelievable.
These individuals, having rotated through a succession of roles since 1999, offer little proof that they can implement the change Nigeria needs. If they were unable to reform their own states, Anambra, Rivers, and Kaduna, how do they promise they’re now qualified to save the rest of the country? What unites them isn’t common purpose but mutual loss of power and ugly disdain for President Tinubu.
Even their own past experiences have cracks in them. Atiku once offered El-Rufai a critical economic role, only for the partnership to end in disaster, according to both men’s memoirs. This team is not a party of competence or unity; it’s a fractured coalition of ambition-sparked persons.
Their collective inability to speak with a persuasive message or provide credible alternatives only strengthens their opposition. Without fresh voices and visionary leadership, this coalition is rapidly transforming into a political relic for seasoned politicians, rather than a movement for national rebirth. As it stands, their attempt to regain Aso Rock is in trouble.
By 2027, we may be able to witness once more the spectacle of Nigerian elections, but barring a sea change, Tinubu’s presidency appears set. The opposition remains divided, unenthusiastic, and, in the end, incapable of altering the direction of the nation’s politics.
