Osuntokun, however, advised coalition leaders to pick a candidate from the South, arguing that a northern candidate will struggle
By Kehinde Okeowo
A former Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Akin Osuntokun, has described President Bola Tinubu as an experienced politician with a strong strategic advantage that will help him to retain power in 2027.
He made this known on Tuesday during an interview where he also expressed skepticism about the viability of a newly formed opposition coalition aimed at unseating the president.
He added that while political alliances are not new in Nigeria’s politics, he does not see the coalition successfully challenging Tinubu.
“Tinubu has the power of incumbency and will use it to his advantage if he decides to seek re-election in 2027.
“If he could win an election against all odds when he was not President, you can imagine now when he is in power,” Osuntokun said.
The former Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) went on to acknowledge that forming a coalition is a valid strategy but warned that internal disagreements, particularly over the selection of a presidential candidate, could derail the alliance.
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“For any political party to effectively challenge the power at the center, it requires coming together to form a grand party.
“However, if they fail to agree on the method to select their candidate, the coalition may hit the rocks,” he added.
Osuntokun advised the coalition leaders to nominate a candidate from the South, arguing that a northern candidate, such as Atiku, could struggle to gain nationwide support due to Nigeria’s North-South power rotation principle.
“If the ticket goes to a northern politician like Atiku, he will be violating the convention that has been in place since 1999, and it will be a hard sell,” Osuntokun added.
Despite his doubts, Osuntokun noted that a successful coalition had worked before, citing the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s victory over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.
However, he maintained that Tinubu’s political strength and experience make him a formidable opponent.
“The opposition leaders have Tinubu as a formidable opponent who will go all out to win the election,” he said.
A coalition, spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other opposition figures, was announced last week in Abuja.
