Senator Shehu Sani has warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is likely to secure a landslide victory in the 2027 Nigerian general elections unless opposition parties unite in a coalition. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, the former Kaduna Central senator highlighted that ongoing defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and persistent divisions within opposition ranks are weakening their ability to mount an effective challenge.
Sani emphasized that it is impossible to unseat a ruling party without a coalition, urging opposition parties to set aside narrow interests for the sake of democracy. Despite public calls for collaboration, major opposition parties such as the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) have distanced themselves from coalition talks.
He pointed out that the opposition’s failure to form a united front in the 2023 elections contributed significantly to Tinubu’s victory, warning that history risks repeating itself. Sani also criticized Nigeria’s political landscape for lacking strong ideological boundaries, describing parties as mere platforms for personal ambitions with nearly identical manifestos.
Predicting more defections to the APC, especially from the PDP, which is currently grappling with leadership disputes and factionalism, Sani warned that unless opposition parties resolve their internal conflicts and unite, Nigeria risks drifting into a de facto one-party state-not through legal means but by default due to opposition fragmentation. His remarks underscore the critical role opposition unity plays in Nigeria’s democratic process amid the APC’s growing dominance.