2027 Election: Opposition lacks strategy against Tinubu – Amadi sam warns Atiku, Obi

Sam Amadi, former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has cautioned former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and other opposition figures to be wary of President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Amadi, who also directs the Abuja School of Social and Political Thoughts, characterized Tinubu as a master of “dark politics” and suggested that the Atiku-Obi-led coalition attempting to unseat him lacks strategic and organizational strength.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Amadi argued that the current opposition is not putting in enough effort. He drew a contrast with the All Progressives Congress (APC) before the 2015 elections, noting their intentionality and seriousness as an opposition party. Amadi highlighted that in 2015, political leaders seemingly had a clearer understanding of who should lead the charge, recognizing that Muhammadu Buhari had a significant and consistent voter base of over nine million “bankable votes.”

Here, I think there’s a problem of people perhaps exaggerating their importance, their right to govern. And so, the ego crisis is going to be a problem.

“Again, Jonathan wasn’t that intense and didn’t play the type of politics that Tinubu, a master of dark politics, does. The PDP took it as, ‘Oh, we’ll get everything done at the last minute.’

“We had a more independent INEC back then. In fact, their body language was even against the ruling government. So, it was a difficult proposition, but the APC managed to overcome it. Now, you have a government that understands the dark arts of politics, and is perhaps proficient and unrestrained in using them. They’ve learned from their successes and from the PDP’s failures.

So it’s likely that there will be more intrusions into the opposition camp, more betrayals. They’re going to plant people.

“What I see is that the level of seriousness the APC had as an opposition, their capacity to engage civil society, infiltrate and manipulate various sectors, and even work the media, is absent now. There’s no one leading the movement with the mindset of ‘Let’s get this government out first.’

“Everyone seems more focused on personal opportunities, whether it’s for now or 2031. So, from a strategic and operational standpoint, the coalition is weak on both fronts. It’s far more diverse, diverse in expectations and interests. And crucially, it lacks a unifying ideology. What does it stand for?”