- Galadima Says Fayemi Coordinating Seven-Man Coalition To Defeat Tinubu
- APM Asks Tinubu To Step Down, Back Makinde
- Obidient Connect Mobilises Diaspora Support, Seeks Sponsorship
The political battle ahead of the 2027 presidential election is intensifying, with opposition groups mounting separate challenges to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The latest developments came from three different opposition fronts: former Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi has allegedly been coordinating a seven-man opposition group seeking to defeat Tinubu, according to Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) chieftain Buba Galadima; the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) has publicly asked Tinubu to withdraw from the presidential race and support its candidate, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde; while the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, known as the OK Movement, is seeking financial and organisational support from Nigerians in the diaspora for its 2027 campaign.
The developments underscore the competing strategies emerging within the opposition as parties and political groups seek a formula capable of challenging the APC at the polls.
Galadima: Fayemi Coordinating Seven-Man Opposition Group
Galadima disclosed the existence of the seven-man coalition during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying the group cuts across opposition parties and is being coordinated by Fayemi.
“I am part of the group of the opposition candidates, seven of us meeting under the coordination of ex-Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State to try to work on that. And we are making progress,” Galadima said.
Asked what the group was working towards, he gave a direct answer: “Defeating Tinubu.”
Galadima, however, said the opposition could not legally place a single joint candidate on the ballot at this stage.
“Technically, legally, other opposition parties cannot produce one single candidate to face Tinubu. We have passed that stage,” he said.
He proposed a different strategy in which opposition parties would maintain their separate candidates before eventually rallying supporters behind whichever candidate emerges as the strongest challenger.
“So my idea has always been that we face Tinubu as a hydra-headed snail. And if, a day to the election, we are convinced that Mr A or Mr B is the person that can beat Tinubu, we can just tell our supporters … to vote for that single person,” Galadima said.
He also claimed that some serving ministers and governors were sympathetic to the opposition, alleging that “there are a lot of ministers and governors who are with Tinubu during the day and with us at night.” That claim was presented by Galadima and was not independently substantiated in the report.
APM Turns Heat On Tinubu
As the opposition coalition debate continues, the APM has taken a more direct route, calling on Tinubu to abandon his re-election bid and support Makinde.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, the party said it believed the President had failed to provide the leadership it expected.
The APM also criticised Tinubu over his absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly, where Vice-President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria.
The party alleged that Tinubu had “abdicated his official duties” to family members, aides and other unelected persons, while also accusing the administration of failing to adequately address insecurity and economic hardship.
On insecurity, Yusuf asked: “Is it not absurd that President Tinubu has never visited any of the communities being ravaged by terrorists, kidnappers and bandits?”
He further alleged that Tinubu had not demonstrated sufficient direct engagement with victims and affected communities.
The APM also attacked the administration’s economic policies, citing subsidy removal, taxation and borrowing.
The party concluded its appeal with a direct political demand: “The APM again urges President Tinubu to reconsider his intention to seek another term, withdraw from the 2027 presidential race and be patriotic by supporting Engr. Makinde in the overall interest of the nation.”
Makinde, however, has previously rejected suggestions that he intends to withdraw from the presidential contest. In July, he said he remained committed to his 2027 bid.
OK Movement Takes Campaign To Diaspora
Meanwhile, a group, Obidient Connect has called on Nigerians living abroad to support civic participation by helping eligible voters at home take part in the electoral process.
The group, spearheaded by Justice Crack and Isaac Fayose in a mobilisation message directed at Nigerians in the diaspora, acknowledged that citizens living outside the country may not be able to vote directly but urged them to support eligible voters in Nigeria.
“To all Nigerians in the diaspora, even though you may not be able to vote directly, you can still support someone back home to participate in the election,” the group said.
Obidient Connect urged Nigerians abroad to support at least 10 people to exercise their civic responsibility, adding that individuals could assist even more eligible voters.
“You can support at least 10 people to exercise their civic responsibility—and you can even do more,” it said.
The group linked diaspora involvement to citizens’ exposure to governance systems outside Nigeria, saying those living abroad had seen how effective governance could work.
“If you live in the diaspora, you have seen how good governance can work, and you understand the kind of Nigeria many of us want to build at home,” the statement added.
Obidient Connect subsequently called on Nigerians in the diaspora to join its platform and participate in efforts aimed at increasing civic engagement ahead of the 2027 election.
“Join Obidient Connect. Let’s support civic participation and work towards a better Nigeria in 2027,” it said.
Opposition Strategy Still Fragmented
The three developments highlight different approaches within the opposition.
Galadima’s proposal is based on maintaining multiple opposition candidates before potentially consolidating support behind one challenger. The APM is openly asking the incumbent to withdraw and support Makinde, while the OK Movement is building financial and organisational support around the Obi-Kwankwaso project.
The challenge for the opposition remains coordination.
Recent efforts by groups such as the G-100 to produce a single opposition candidate have encountered resistance from several presidential camps, including those of Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Makinde.
With the 2027 contest taking shape, the opposition’s pressure campaign against Tinubu is therefore unfolding on several fronts — coalition-building, direct calls for the President to step aside, and diaspora-backed political mobilisation — even as the various opposition camps continue to pursue different candidates and strategies.
