2027 Elections: Planned Opposition Coalition Will Only Secure Tinubu a Second Term — Sowore

Omoyele Sowore, former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), has criticized the ongoing coalition talks among opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections, calling them visionless and ideologically hollow. According to him, such efforts will only pave the way for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Sowore dismissed the alliance efforts led by figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai as distractions lacking purpose and genuine commitment to reform.

“It is what they [the coalition] are doing that will make it easy for Tinubu to rerun and return to office. They are preventing a real, organic coalition of the oppressed from emerging. Nigerians think these people are fighting for them, but they’re not,” Sowore said.

He further stated that the supposed opposition is “lonely, not united,” and lacks conviction.

“Now they want to register a new party — that’s not a coalition, that’s desperation. Any alliance without ideology, character, or integrity is destined to fail,” he added.

Opposition Realignment in Disarray

Sowore’s comments come amid a flurry of opposition activities as political actors reposition themselves ahead of 2027. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has confirmed holding talks with Labour Party’s Peter Obi and ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who recently left the APC for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

However, the proposed coalition is already facing internal contradictions. The PDP Governors' Forum has distanced itself from the talks, and Obi has maintained that he will not join any alliance focused solely on capturing power without addressing Nigeria’s deeper systemic issues.

While El-Rufai’s switch to the SDP stirred speculation, the party’s leadership has clarified that no formal alliance exists between them and either Atiku or Obi.

‘We Need a Different Direction’

Sowore argued that Nigerians must stop relying on political elites and instead take charge of shaping their own future.

“The people need to create the solution themselves. If they keep getting distracted by empty coalition talk, they’ll end up worse than before,” he warned.

He criticized the current political climate as one lacking true democracy, describing it instead as a “transition to civil rule.”

“We don’t have democracy in Nigeria. What we need now is real democracy,” he said.

Distinguishing himself from the current wave of political realignments, Sowore declared:

“I lead the coalition of the oppressed — not the coalition of the hungry, led by the likes of Amaechi.”

When asked whether Nigerians should still hope in the Tinubu administration, Sowore’s response was blunt:

“No, I’ve warned Nigerians. The more you hope, the more you lose. What’s coming in the next two years is just a continuation of the last two. If nothing changes, governance won’t improve.”