Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has cautioned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is poised for a landslide re-election victory in 2027 if Nigeria’s opposition parties continue to operate in isolation.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Sani said the recent wave of defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC) is a direct result of disunity within opposition ranks. He warned that without a unified front, the ruling party would retain power unchallenged.
“There is no way you can evict a ruling party without a coalition,” he stated. “Only through unity can opposition parties set aside narrow interests for the greater good of democracy.”
Sani criticised the lack of commitment from major opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), all of which he said have distanced themselves from coalition talks.
“If they head into the election disjointed, APC will likely win by a landslide,” he warned, recalling how a fragmented opposition in 2023 helped Tinubu secure the presidency.
The former senator also lamented the ideological weakness of Nigeria’s political landscape, where party switching is rampant.
“Parties are just platforms to pursue personal ambitions. Their manifestos are almost identical—names are the only real difference,” he said.
Sani dismissed suggestions that President Tinubu is responsible for the internal disarray within opposition parties. “It is not Asiwaju’s job to keep opposition parties intact. They must do the hard work of resolving internal issues and retaining their members.”
He also predicted a fresh wave of defections to the APC in the coming months, particularly from the PDP, which he said remains mired in leadership disputes and internal power struggles.
“You can’t function in a party with two national secretaries or factions fighting over primaries. It creates uncertainty for governors, senators, and other aspirants who won’t know which side to align with,” Sani noted.
He concluded with a stark warning: if the current trajectory continues, Nigeria may drift into a de facto one-party state—not through legislation, but by the opposition’s failure to organise and compete effectively.
