Even though many political analysts have predicted that the President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, will have a successful re-election bid in the 2027 presidential election, there is legitimate concern among the President’s supporters that Labour Party chieftain, Peter Obi, will be the hardest nut to crack in the high-stakes election.
Obi was the candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election. The former Anambra State Governor wants to make another splash in the 2027 presidential election.
In the last election, which was adjudged controversial, Obi went toe-to-toe with Tinubu, the then-candidate of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, and former Vice-president Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party.
Obi walked through the valley of the shadow of uncertainty and overcame it, sort of. He came third on the presidential log but dramatically rattled Nigeria’s political status quo.
The resilient Obi also became a household name as he reset the country’s political algorithm, enhancing the possibility of small-time politicians getting visibility and being heard in Nigeria’s crowded political arena.
Political observers are now speculating that in 2027, more attention will be paid to Tinubu and Obi – two juggernauts who have learnt a lot politically in the school of hard knocks – as they reignite a political rivalry that will be discussed for years to come.
Analysts insist that Obi will not be a pushover in the future presidential contest. According to them, he will be the toughest nut Tinubu will have to crack.
A current affairs analyst, Kizito Opara, told The Point, “All things being equal and God sparing their lives, Tinubu and Obi – the two biggest political powerhouses in Nigeria in my humble opinion – will once again test their respective might as they try to re-establish dominance in 2027.
“Obi will be the biggest obstacle before Tinubu. I don’t see any other candidate that can give Tinubu a run for his money.”
“I absolutely agree that this is politics and understand that no permutation is entirely foolproof but if the opposition truly wants power to change hands outside the APC and PDP, Obi will be their best bet”
Opara also said that Obi is the only candidate who can for once relegate the APC and PDP to the background.
“I absolutely agree that this is politics and understand that no permutation is entirely foolproof but if the opposition truly wants power to change hands outside the APC and PDP, Obi will be their best bet,” he noted.
Since the start of the Fourth Republic in 1999, the presidency has actually only exchanged hands between two political parties: the APC and the PDP.
In 2023, it looked like the APC-PDP duopoly would be broken in the election by Obi but the leader of the Obidient movement came short of victory and this is why his entry into the 2027 race is such a big deal.
Obi’s political profile has so far been growing in geometric progression. And judging by the reception he has been receiving in hitherto “hostile” territories in Nigeria, especially the core north, political commentators say it is safe to submit that he is still a force to be reckoned with.
A case in point is Obi’s recent visit to the Governor of PDP-controlled Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed.
In a surprising twist, Mohammed said Obi is “the face of opposition politics” and that he is ready to work with him.
“I appreciate what he (Obi) is doing as a leader of the opposition. And whether we like it or not, he is now the face of opposition politics in Nigeria.
“I want to say clearly that I am ready to work with Peter Obi,” Mohammed said.
Prior to the last presidential election, many pollsters rated Obi above Tinubu on winning the election.
Many opinion polls that were conducted forecasted that an Obi victory was imminent. And despite the fact that Tinubu confounded the statisticians who churned out those results by claiming victory eventually, a new wave of opinion polling that will again put Obi in pole position to win the next election are expected to flood the polity once again.
A member of the Obidient movement , Yusuf Kadira, said of the opinion polls and Obi making inroads into the North, “I was shocked that after all the polls results that favoured Obi he still lost somehow in the election.
“I charge people who conduct these polls to be more clinical this time around. We want results that we can rely upon.
“I am happy that the North is gradually embracing Obi. The APC is not taking it seriously and it will come back to haunt them during the presidential election.”
Last week, Obi made a grand entrance into TikTok, leaving many pundits to surmise that he is looking for a platform to reach younger Nigerian voters who may not have profiles on X, formerly Twitter.
Obi used his new page on TikTok, which is usually not a favourite with politicians, to rally Nigerians, mainly youths, to his side in his quest to “build a new Nigeria.”
He said, “This is my official and only TikTok page. Kindly join me towards building a new Nigeria that is possible.”
Analysts are of the view that Obi’s decision to join TikTok is strategic. They advise the President to follow suit if he does not want Obi to have a bigger influence on youths on social media.
Speaking of the youth, a couple of weeks ago, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, Ushie Rita Uguamaye, called Tinubu a “terrible” president because of the spike in the cost of living in the country.
The Corps member later accused some officials of the NYSC of threatening her after her comments on the state of the economy went viral.
Obi, who is known to often be on the side of the masses on many national issues, was among high profile opposition political figures that stood behind the Corps member.
The former Anambra State Governor said he, too, had been subjected to similar threats for expressing “solution-based views” on government policies
“I, too, have been subjected to threats for daring to offer constructive suggestions and comments.
“I now face daily intimidation, harassment, and name-calling simply for expressing solution-based views on government policies. Such actions are antithetical to the principles of democracy,” Obi wrote in part on X.
Although a staunch supporter of the President, Reno Omokri, dared Obi to offer automatic employment to Uguamaye if he (Obi) was convinced that the Corps member “displayed a good upbringing and displayed the right moral virtues, some analysts opine that Nigerians are more sympathetic to Obi on the matter than they are to Tinubu.
Following the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State by Tinubu and the suspension of the Governor of the State, Siminalayi Fubara, opposition politicians from various parties, led by Atiku, said they would present a united front against the APC and Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Stakeholders, however, say that the new coalition would do well to choose Obi as its presidential candidate because he will bring something special to the table.
A political analyst, Ndubuisi Etenwa, told The Point, “Obi is leaving no stone unturned in this presidential race and I suspect that he will do way better in 2027 than he did in 2023.
“And if the newly announced coalition is serious about their ambition, they must choose a candidate that will give them bragging rights.
“That is why I am certain that Obi will fit the bill. He will bring something positive to the table. Any other person will be a ceremonial candidate.”
Another analyst, Collins Ugorji, said, “Everyone knows that Tinubu will somehow manage to win the 2027 presidential election. But truth be told, it will not be easy for the President to do so.
“He will be the toughest nut to crack and the president must look for ways to handle him in the election.
“I also agree that Obi is the new face of the opposition in Nigeria. Despite the criticisms against him and the many mistakes his opponents say he makes, the man is still appreciated by Nigerians.
“Obi has continued to prove that he will be difficult to beat in 2027 and Tinubu will have many sleepless nights trying to figure out a remedy for Obi.”