A former Director-General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, on Tuesday expressed doubt that the coalition by some political leaders to sack President Bola Tinubu in 2027 would work.
Some opposition politicians led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had recently announced a coalition to challenge President Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next presidential election.
In a chat with journalists in Abuja, Osuntokun said alliances were not new in Nigeria and that he did not see the coalition working against the President.
He described Tinubu as an experienced politician and strategist who knows how to navigate the murky waters of politics.
According to him, Tinubu has the power of incumbency and will use it to his advantage if he decides to seek re-election in 2027.
He said: “If he (Tinubu) could win an election (against all odds) when he was not President, you can imagine now when he is the President.
“I would not bet on the chances of the opposition. Tinubu seems to have a lot of cards to play at his disposal, and he is experienced and he is a master in terms of political strategy during elections.
“So, I would not bet against him. However, my advice for the opposition leaders coming together is to pick a presidential candidate from the South.
“If they pick a candidate from the North, they are going to run against the obstacle of the North-South rotational presidency principle.”
He stressed that Tinubu has more capacity to mobilise for the election than any other individual or group.
“The opposition leaders have Tinubu as a formidable opponent, who is going to ensure that he goes all out and wins the election,” Osuntokun stated.
He, however, said there was nothing wrong with forming a coalition to challenge the government at the centre so long the participants would be faithful and committed to goals of the alliance.
“For any political party to effectively challenge the power at the centre, it requires coming together to form a grand party, to stand a better chance of having its objective being realised.
“So, to that extent, they (opposition leaders and parties) are right and correct with their planned formation of a coalition,” he added.
He cited the APC’s victory against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 as an example of coalitions that had worked in the country’s political history.
Osuntokun, however, warned that the coalition might hit the rocks if the participants fail agree on the means or method to select its presidential candidate.
He said the presidential ambitions of the certain figures in the coalition could affect their willingness to reach a compromise.
“So, this is going to be a test of the durability and potency of the coalition,” he concluded.