Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has declared that the 2027 general elections will not follow the familiar script of past contests.
According to Atiku, the emerging coalition of opposition forces determined to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is “not a joke.”
In a statement posted to his social media account on Tuesday, the two-time vice president revealed that he made the declaration while receiving a delegation of Kannywood personalities and prominent North West opinion leaders at his Abuja residence. The visit was led by Dr. Aslam Aliyu—a Zamfara-based politician and head of the PAA 2027 New Media & Digital Communications Forum.
“The opposition coalition being put together is not a joke, and it will soon be unveiled,” Atiku told his guests. “The envisaged coalition is a deliberate effort to recover and rebuild Nigeria in line with the yearnings and aspirations of the people.”
According to Atiku, the visiting forum—which includes Kannywood members, the Zamfara TOP 10 group, and other regional stakeholders—expressed remorse over their support for the APC during the 2023 elections and affirmed a renewed commitment to backing opposition unity.
“Some members of the forum, who played roles in the election of the President Tinubu-led APC government, expressed deep regrets about foisting an incompetent and clueless leadership on Nigeria,” Atiku said. “I assured the forum that 2027 will not be business as usual.”
Dr. Aliyu, speaking on behalf of the delegation, reportedly informed Atiku that their renewed political engagement is anchored on a critical review of the 2023 general elections, during which Bola Tinubu secured the presidency with 8.79 million votes. Atiku trailed with 6.98 million votes, while Labour Party’s Peter Obi scored 6.1 million.
On Monday night, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai had said Tinubu will be lucky to come third in the upcoming polls in 2027.
“Tinubu can’t win. In fact, he will be lucky if he is third,” El-Rufai said during a live interview on Arise TV, where he dismissed recent defections to the APC as politically insignificant.