APC may lose support base if Atiku and Obi run together in 2027 - Party chieftain warns

 Dominic Alancha, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and leader of the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum (NENF), has warned that a joint ticket between opposition figures Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi could seriously weaken the ruling party in the 2027 elections.

 

Abubakar and Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) platforms, respectively, losing to APC’s Bola Tinubu, who garnered 8,794,726 votes. Abubakar received 6,984,520 votes while Obi secured 6,101,533 votes. Earlier this year, opposition leaders adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a coalition platform to challenge Tinubu.

 

Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, Alancha advised the APC to reconsider the Muslim-Muslim ticket strategy for 2027. He said the opposition could exploit it as a campaign advantage.

 

“In 2027, the dynamics may not be the same as what happened in 2023,” Alancha said. “If Peter Obi and Atiku can align, have a consensus among themselves and agree on a single ticket, I’m telling you it’s going to deplete our support base because, at the table, they already have over 13 to 14 million votes.

 

“It is not too early in the day because preparation precedes manifestation; if you’re not preparing to succeed, then you must have been planning to fail.

 

“What we are telling the president, as members of the APC and as citizens in touch with the grassroots, is that there may be quietness now, but when campaigns commence, there are going to be serious issues.

 

“If the Muslim-Muslim ticket is retained, it’s going to pose a threat and deplete our support base. The opposition coalition is not sleeping; they are working very seriously. If Obi and Atiku come together, we are talking about almost 14 million votes against our eight million votes from the 2023 general elections.”

 

Alancha also expressed concern about speculation surrounding former President Goodluck Jonathan’s potential return in 2027. “Jonathan is around the corner. Nobody should wave aside that issue because it’s a serious one,” he said.

 

“There are certain persons within the north pushing for Jonathan, ‘bring back Jonathan to them’. In fact, they are forming a cult-like following around that agenda.

 

“If Jonathan is on the ballot, and Atiku and Obi are also there, believe me, the Muslim-Muslim ticket is not going to fly. Let’s have a balance on that ticket."