Omoyele Sowore, African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate in 2023, cautioned that a proposed opposition coalition for the 2027 Nigerian presidential election could inadvertently ensure President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
Speaking during an interview, Sowore argued that fragmented opposition parties, including the PDP and Labour Party, lack the ideological cohesion to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC), which endorsed Tinubu for 2027 on May 22, 2025. He cited the coalition’s 2023 failure, where Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar split 13 million votes, allowing Tinubu’s 8.8 million to win with 37%. Sowore, polling 14,608 votes in 2023, warned that 67% of recent PDP defectors to APC are “moles” sabotaging opposition unity, echoing Prophet Efe Japhet’s claims.
Sowore criticized Tinubu’s reforms, like subsidy removal, for driving 40% inflation and impoverishing 20 million Nigerians since 2023, but noted the opposition’s inability to capitalize due to internal rivalries. He proposed a grassroots movement, citing his #RevolutionNow campaign’s 100,000 signatures, and urged youth, 70% of Nigeria’s 220 million population, to reject elite coalitions.
Public sentiment is split: 55% in online polls favor a united opposition, but others distrust leaders like Atiku, who lost four of seven North-West states in 2023. The APC’s confidence, bolstered by defections and $24 billion in oil investments, contrasts with Sowore’s warning that electoral manipulation, seen in 2023’s 29% turnout, could recur. The 2027 race, with 90 million eligible voters, hinges on opposition strategy, as Tinubu’s 30% North-West votes remain a stronghold.