2027: Why G100’s push for single candidate may be dead on arrival —Sources

• Say OBJ-Atiku feud a major stumbling block
• ‘Those who pulled out of ADC coalition can’t unite opposition’

INDICATIONS emerged on Wednesday that the fresh push for a single opposition presidential candidate to face the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, may not see the light of day. Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) appear lukewarm in the push for the single presidential candidate being spearheaded by the G100.

It was gathered that though six political parties met on Monday, August 31, to reaffirm their commitment to the G100 agenda aimed at producing a single opposition against President Bola Tinubu, the thinking among the supporters of the ADC presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and that of the NDC, Mr Peter Obi, is that the move is like “medicine after death”.

According to sources close to the opposition coalition, the idea of a united opposition was first mooted by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who was instrumental to the formation of the ADC.

“The push by G100, to the best of my knowledge, may not see the light of day. This is because it is more of a medicine after death. Recall that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar was sold on the idea of a united opposition going into the 2027 election, and he supported the formation of the ADC, which was meant to be a vehicle for opposition politics against the All Progressives Congress (APC). But after much ado and the late entry of Mr Peter Obi and Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso, the duo eventually bailed, and right now they are contesting on another platform. I don’t see how those who divided the opposition can get

a united front at the end of the day,” a source stated. According to another source, the idea behind the formation of the ADC was to warehouse all opposition candidates under one umbrella such that it would be easy to face the APC, but with the split in the ranks, the idea of G100 was coming a bit behind schedule.

Another source was quoted as saying that when some opposition politicians interacted with foreign diplomats ahead of the formation of the ADC, it was resolved that only a united front could unseat President Tinubu in 2027 and that the man who stood the best chance of facing the incumbent was Atiku Abubakar.

It looks like the G100 trip is a journey to nowhere, said another source, who stated that the feud between former President OlusegunObasanjo and Vice President Atiku Abubakar was a major stumbling block to getting headway in the G100agenda. According to the source, the former president was instrumental to the emergence of Mr Peter Obi as candidate of the NDC, and he also played key roles in the emergence of Senator Rabiu Musa Kwakwanso as his running mate.

“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo was said to have vowed to disown Peter Obi if he ever accepted the vice-presidential ticket of the ADC with Atiku as the candidate. He also did all he could to ensure that the vice-presidential ticket for vice president of the NDC was given to Senator Rabiu

Musa Kwankwaso. Remember that Kwankwaso was one of the beloved governors when Obasanjo was president, and when he lost the bid for a second term in 2003, OBJ made him

Minister of Defence,” another source stated, adding that with the threat from Obasanjo, Peter Obi will

be unable to step down for any other presidential candidate, let alone accede to the G100 agenda, unless he emerges as the sole candidate.

A source, however, stated that the ADC and the NDC have continued to participate in the G100’s push for a single presidential candidate so that they would not be accused of being the cog in the wheel of the opposition.

“In any case, the two key parties, the NDC and the ADC, are just patching up with the opposition alliance, despite the realities in their camps. The ADC has said it has a pathway to victory against Tinubu with or without the alliance, and the NDC is pitching a similar sentiment in its campaigns,” a source said, adding that none of the parties want to carry the blame or stand accused of being responsible for the failure of the G100 agenda.