The All Progressives Congress (APC) is laughing. They know the opposition is dithering, plotting another suicide mission for 2027. The ADC-led coalition is flirting dangerously with political irrelevance, and unless they wake up to reality, Bola Tinubu will dance back to Aso Rock unchallenged.
The truth is simple and brutal: only Peter Obi has the momentum, the mass appeal, and the electoral firepower to inherit Buhari’s 12 million votes and end APC’s reign of impunity.
For over a decade, Buhari’s Northern base was the rock upon which APC built its victories. His 12 million “bankable votes” were not political accidents; they were loyalty born of trust, sacrifice, and years of grassroots connection.
With Buhari’s death, that solid voting bloc has become politically homeless. The question now is who can galvanize that abandoned army. The answer is staring the ADC coalition in the face—Peter Obi.
Obi’s performance in the 2023 presidential election was no fluke. In his first presidential outing, he polled six million votes without the benefit of a nationwide structure, state governors, or federal backing. Those votes were organic, passionate, and defied the usual Nigerian pattern of cash-and-carry politics. That is not a feat to dismiss.
Meanwhile, other opposition figures remain political relics, weighed down by years of failed attempts. Atiku Abubakar has contested five times and remains stuck at six million votes despite all his experience and resources. No other figure in the ADC coalition even comes close to Obi’s energy, credibility, and connection with the masses.
Buhari won the presidency in 2015 because his Northern numbers were complemented by a Southern alliance. Obi’s path is the reverse—his solid Southern base now needs a Northern coalition. And unlike others, he is already making inroads. From Kano to Kaduna, young voters and middle-class Northerners have shown clear signs of embracing him as a bridge across Nigeria’s divisive fault lines.
The ADC coalition cannot afford to gamble away 2027 by fielding political lightweights. The country is at a crossroads, and Nigerians are tired of recycled politicians who represent the same corrupt, visionless leadership that has plagued the nation for decades. Obi stands apart as a refreshing alternative who inspires hope and commands loyalty across ethnic and religious divides.
Tinubu’s strategists understand the danger Obi represents. That is why they are investing heavily in Northern propaganda to tarnish his image and sow discord. But even that cannot erase the fact that APC has failed disastrously and the North is ripe for a credible alternative. Obi fits that bill.
If ADC leaders think 2027 will be business as usual, they are delusional. Nigerians are no longer docile. The people are angry, hungry, and desperate for a leader who speaks their language of sincerity and accountability. Obi represents that aspiration, and any attempt to sideline him will be seen as a betrayal of the Nigerian people.
The arrogance of ADC leaders who underestimate Obi is suicidal. They forget how Buhari’s persistence and mass appeal eventually shattered PDP’s dominance. Obi’s movement has the same fire, fueled by youths, professionals, and disenchanted Northerners. This is no time for political cowardice.
ADC must not only hand Obi the presidential ticket—they must back him with an aggressive nationwide campaign. Anything less would be a betrayal of Nigerians who deserve a clean break from APC’s suffocating grip. History will not forgive selfish political calculations that squander this opportunity.
The message is crystal clear: Peter Obi is not just ADC’s best option. He is their only chance of victory. Fail to recognize this, and 2027 will be the burial ground of ADC’s relevance in Nigerian politics.
Uche Ohale, a chiefain of ADC writes from Abuja
