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A chieftain of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Oluwaseun Adelore, has said opposition leaders still have time to resolve their differences and eventually rally behind a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
Adelore made the remarks while speaking on ARISE News on Wednesday, dismissing suggestions that efforts to form an opposition coalition had already collapsed because of the ambitions of major political figures.
He said the political process ahead of the 2027 general election should not be viewed as a short race, stressing that opposition parties still had several months to negotiate and reach an agreement.
“I don’t share that sentiment that what they’re trying to do is just a scratch on the surface. No, I see the 2027 general election not as a sprint. I see it as a marathon race,” Adelore said.
According to him, opposition leaders could still use the coming months to find common ground and develop a strategy for the election.
“October will start tomorrow. We still have October, we have November. They can still come together and make a headway,” he said.
Adelore acknowledged that the personal ambitions of prominent opposition figures could complicate efforts to establish a unified political platform.
He, however, said those ambitions could change as the election draws closer, particularly if the leaders recognise the need to work together rather than pursue separate presidential bids.
“Many people come and all of them say that it’s their own candidate that should be the front runner. No, having people talking for them, you know, it might get to a stage when they will see that it could be any of us but Tinubu,” he said.
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The APM chieftain said opposition leaders would need to demonstrate a willingness to make political sacrifices if they wanted to achieve a common objective.
He argued that previous political developments in Nigeria had shown that politicians could set aside individual interests in pursuit of a broader political goal.
“I would say why not because what happened before Jonathan was removed? Somebody, some group of people sacrificed and now that is history. They are there now,” Adelore said.
He also linked opposition unity to the possibility of mounting a serious challenge against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.
“If they are so serious of removing Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to make it in 2027 is for them to be divided,” he said.
Adelore further rejected the view that the opposition coalition discussions should be considered concluded at this stage, noting that political alliances could change significantly before the election.
“Anything can happen in politics. 24 hours is a very long time. Absolutely. So anything can still happen,” he said.
He also said the opposition’s willingness to unite would depend on how sincerely its leaders were committed to addressing the challenges they believe Nigerians are facing.
“If they are sincere about rescuing Nigeria from disputes, despair, poverty, mortality on the high rise, you know, reeling out figures without any meaningful values, without any meaningful achievements. I think it’s a lead if they can come together,” Adelore said.
