Amid ongoing defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Shehu Sani has warned that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu could secure a landslide victory in the 2027 elections unless Nigeria’s opposition parties unite in a coalition.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Sani—who represented Kaduna Central in the 9th Senate—argued that internal divisions are weakening the opposition and making it impossible to challenge the ruling party effectively.
“There is no way you can evict a ruling party without a coalition,” he said.
“Only through unity can opposition parties set aside narrow interests for the greater good of democracy.”
Sani pointed out that despite public calls for collaboration, key opposition parties remain uninterested.
“The SDP, PDP, Labour Party, and NNPP have all distanced themselves from coalition talks. If they head into the election disjointed, APC will likely win by a landslide.”
He added that the opposition’s failure to form an alliance in 2023 contributed to Tinubu’s victory and warned that history may repeat itself.
According to Sani, Nigeria’s political landscape lacks strong ideological boundaries, making party-switching easy and frequent.
“Parties are just platforms to pursue personal ambitions. Their manifestos are almost identical, and names are the only things that differentiate them.”
Sani dismissed the notion that Tinubu is responsible for protecting opposition parties from implosion.
“It is not Asiwaju’s job to keep opposition parties intact. They must do the hard work of resolving internal issues and retaining their members.”
The former senator also predicted more defections to the APC in the coming months, citing unresolved leadership crises in the PDP.
“You can’t function in a party with two national secretaries or factions fighting over primaries. It creates uncertainty for governors, senators, and other aspirants who won’t know which side to align with,” he said.
He concluded that unless the opposition gets its act together, Nigeria may drift into a de facto one-party state—not by law, but by default.
