Coalition to unseat Tinubu in 2027 will collapse, says Fayose

Former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose, has declared that any alliance aimed at preventing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 is bound to fail.

Fayose, a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the remark during his appearance on Politics Today, a Chremarked onramme aired on Friday.

In recent weeks, discussions around a united opposition front have gained momentum, with several political actors convening meetings reportedly geared toward forming a coalition to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) at the next general election.

One of the loudest voices pushing for such a coalition is Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, who has repeatedly called for unity among opposition parties to dislodge the APC from power.

However, earlier this week, PDP governors dismissed any prospects of aligning with other political parties, insisting that the PDP must preserve its identity heading into the next election cycle.

Reacting to the development, Fayose said the governors’ position sends a clear signal that Atiku lacks the support needed to drive a coalition forward.

“That coalition was stillborn. Show me one respected Nigerian leader who has endorsed this idea,” he said.

“The PDP governors’ statement in Ibadan was a message to Atiku: we’re not on this journey with you. We have our own path to chart.”

According to Fayose, the coalition idea exists only in the minds of those pushing it. “It is a distraction. A waste of everyone’s time,” he said.

He also alleged that some governors within opposition ranks would rather back President Tinubu than support another presidential bid by Atiku.

“The PDP must fix its internal problems first before dreaming of alliances,” he added.

Fayose did not mince words in reiterating his opposition to Atiku’s presidential ambition.

“I opposed Atiku publicly in 2023, and I’ll do it again if he contests. We need to take a hard look at ourselves and move on.”

He insisted that the PDP crisis stems from a failure to honour the party’s informal zoning tradition.

“Power returning to the north after eight years was a mistake,” Fayose said. “It should have gone south — be it to the east, the south-west, or the south-south.”

He argued that the lack of adherence to zoning principles was the root cause of the party’s internal conflict.

“Those who shifted power back to the north triggered all this turmoil,” Fayose stated, adding that party stakeholders must begin to respect even unwritten rules.