Shehu Sani added that unless opposition parties form an effective coalition, Nigeria will drift into a one party state.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Human rights activist and former federal legislator, Shehu Sani has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will secure a landslide victory in the 2027 election unless Nigeria’s opposition parties unite.
Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the 9th Senate gave the warning on Thursday while addressing journalists in Abuja.
According to him, internal division among opposition parties will weaken them and make it impossible to challenge the ruling party effectively.
He also insisted that they must form a coalition to truly give the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) a run for its money.
He said, “There is no way you can evict a ruling party without a coalition.
“Only through unity can opposition parties set aside narrow interests for the greater good of democracy.”
Sani went on to point 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.” Sanni added.
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He further noted that the opposition’s failure to form an alliance in 2023 contributed to Tinubu’s victory and warned that history may repeat itself.
He also asserted that 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.
