LAGOS, Nigeria (ChatnewsTV) — Primate Elijah Ayodele, leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, has urged Nigeria’s opposition parties to unite under a single candidate if they hope to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Ayodele warned that without a coalition among the major opposition parties—Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)—defeating Tinubu would be “futile.”
In a statement from his media aide, Oluwatosin Osho, Ayodele emphasized the importance of a unified front, arguing that a fragmented opposition would hand Tinubu a clear path to victory. “If PDP, Labour, and NNPP don’t unite to form a coalition and propose one rugged and solid candidate for the 2027 presidential election, they won’t be able to unseat President Tinubu,” Ayodele said. “It will be a smooth ride for the president in 2027 except there is a strong coalition from the major political parties.”
Ayodele further noted that the PDP, in particular, would face significant challenges if it attempted to contest the election alone or field former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. “If PDP decides to field Atiku, it will be a disaster; they will lose the election,” he said. “If PDP wants to stand alone, they will run into debt, and as it stands, there is no sitting governor that has the capacity to become president in PDP. They are not strong enough.”
Ayodele’s comments come amid ongoing discussions within opposition circles on the strategy needed to counter Tinubu’s influence in Nigerian politics. His call for a coalition underscores a growing belief that only a unified opposition has the potential to disrupt the incumbent’s prospects for a second term.
Editor: Gabriel Ani
