Only party-led coalition can defeat Tinubu in 2027, not alliance of individuals—Shekarau

Former Kano State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Ibrahim Shekarau has said that unseating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027 will only be possible through a coalition led by established political parties—not alliances of individual politicians.

Speaking to journalists in a statement released on Saturday, Shekarau urged Nigeria’s opposition parties to unite under a strengthened political platform, warning that personality-driven coalitions have historically failed.

His comments came amid reports of discussions about prominent politicians joining forces under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next presidential election.

“Some people misunderstood my position. I did not say it was impossible to defeat Tinubu in 2027. What I said was that a coalition of ‘individuals’ rather than political parties could not achieve it,” Shekarau clarified.

The former governor recalled his experience in the 2011 coalition talks involving the now-defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)—where he was the ANPP presidential candidate.

He revealed that high-level meetings were held at then-ACN leader Tinubu’s Abuja residence and at Muhammadu Buhari’s home, where he, Buhari (CPC), and Nuhu Ribadu (ACN) explored a merger. The talks collapsed, and each party contested separately.

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“The 2011 effort failed because the process was largely driven by candidates, not structured party negotiations,” Shekarau said.

By contrast, he said, the 2015 merger that produced the APC succeeded because negotiations were led by party structures. Each of the three merging parties—CPC, ACN, and ANPP—set up 21-member committees comprising serving and former governors, senior party leaders, and grassroots mobilisers.

Shekarau chaired the ANPP team, with High Chief Tom Ikimi heading the ACN delegation and Alhaji Garba Gadi leading CPC’s side.

“In 2015, we pursued the process as representatives of our respective parties, not as aspirants seeking positions. That made the difference,” he explained.

Political strategist Dr. Hassan Liman told The Town Crier that Shekarau’s remarks underscore the importance of party machinery in Nigerian politics.

“No matter how popular an individual is, defeating an incumbent president in Nigeria requires the nationwide structure, funding, and electoral agents that only political parties can mobilise,” Liman noted.

Similarly, public affairs commentator Aisha Lawal warned that opposition unity talks often fail when driven by personal ambition rather than collective strategy.

“History shows us that personality coalitions collapse under ego clashes. Party-led mergers, like in 2015, stand a much better chance,” she said.

Shekarau’s intervention is likely to shape ongoing opposition discussions, as the countdown to 2027 intensifies.