Former Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, has firmly dismissed efforts to form a political coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. Speaking during an interview on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television aired on Friday, April 18, Fayose described the proposed coalition, reportedly led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, as dead on arrival and lacking meaningful support.
Fayose, a well-known chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the idea of uniting opposition forces under one platform to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election cycle is not realistic. According to him, the coalition is being driven by people who have lost political ground and are now trying to remain relevant by forming alliances that have no backing from critical stakeholders.
“That coalition is a dead horse ab initio,” Fayose declared. “Tell me one respected Nigerian who has openly supported that plan. It is just the imagination of people trying to bring it to life. Let me say it clearly, it is a waste of time.”
In recent weeks, there have been reports of strategic meetings among some opposition figures exploring ways to join forces against President Tinubu’s administration in 2027. Atiku Abubakar, who was the PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, has been at the centre of these talks, urging politicians across different political parties to unite and form a strong opposition front.
However, the plan appears to be facing serious resistance, even within Atiku’s own party. Earlier this week, PDP governors, during a meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, declared that they are not considering any merger or coalition with other political parties. This development dealt a significant blow to Atiku’s efforts to bring the opposition under a common umbrella.
Fayose referred to the position taken by the PDP governors as a strong signal that Atiku’s proposed coalition is already losing steam. “The governors’ position in Ibadan is very clear. It is a message to Atiku: we are not with you, we have our identity, and we are going nowhere,” he said.
The former governor went further, saying that some PDP governors are even more comfortable with President Tinubu’s leadership than they were with Atiku’s candidacy in 2023. According to him, this preference is not surprising, especially considering the crisis that has rocked the PDP in recent years.
Fayose blamed the PDP’s internal problems on what he described as a violation of the party’s unwritten power-sharing agreement, known as the zoning principle. He said the failure to respect zoning was one of the main reasons the party struggled in the 2023 general election.
“After eight years of a northerner as president, it should be the turn of a southerner. That’s the spirit of zoning – whether from the east, south-west, or south-south. But some people threw away that understanding,” Fayose said.
In a striking remark, Fayose openly declared that he would not support Atiku again if he decides to run in 2027. “I publicly worked against Atiku in 2023, and I am saying again: if Atiku comes out in 2027, I will work against him,” he stated.
Fayose insisted that the PDP must first address its internal crisis and put its house in order before any serious discussions about political coalitions can take place. He called for a return to the principles that once held the party together, especially respect for zoning and internal agreements.
“Those who zoned power back to the north are responsible for the problems we are seeing today in the PDP,” he said. “We must learn from our past. No party can survive without fairness and equity.”
The remarks by Fayose highlight the growing divisions within the PDP and the uphill battle Atiku faces if he intends to contest again in 2027. While he remains one of the most prominent figures in the opposition, his leadership has come under heavy criticism from both within and outside the party.
Many political observers believe the PDP’s inability to maintain unity and enforce zoning was a major factor in its loss during the 2023 elections. The crisis led to the emergence of the G5 Governors – a group of PDP governors who openly opposed Atiku’s candidacy. This internal rift weakened the party’s structure and contributed to its poor performance at the polls.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu, who was elected under the APC platform, continues to maintain political dominance as the ruling party consolidates its hold on power. Analysts say that unless the opposition gets its act together quickly, the APC could have a relatively easy path to victory in 2027.
The idea of a grand opposition coalition is not new in Nigerian politics. In 2013, several opposition parties came together to form the APC, which later defeated the then-incumbent PDP in the 2015 general election. Many believed that a similar coalition could emerge in the current political climate, but with the current level of disunity in the PDP, such an outcome appears unlikely.
