Akin Oshuntokun, the former director-general of the Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council, has expressed doubts about the viability of a powerful opposition alliance against President Bola Ahmnaij.
Speaking on Arise Television on Monday, Oshuntokun highlighted the challenges presented by prominent opposition leaders’ aspirations to become president, especially those of Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar.
He pointed out that both of the people that ran for president in 2023 are probably going to do so again in 2027, which makes it extremely difficult to bring the opposition together.
While Atiku has the support of the Northern political elite, Obi has the support of the young and the Obidient movement, according to Oshuntokun.
He cautioned that unless one of them resigns or changes their political objectives, the situation that occurred in 2023, when opposition forces were split, might recur.
Oshuntokun proposed that Obi might have to reevaluate his goal of becoming president in order to overcome this and instead concentrate on creating a larger political movement.
“Obi is in a challenging situation,” he continued. He will face pressure to choose a Northern politician to run alongside him for vice president. But the Obidient Movement, who saw him as their chosen leader, vehemently disagrees with this notion.
While acknowledging calls for a new coalition leader, he emphasized the difficulties in bringing the opposition forces together.
Read Also: JUST IN: Crude Oil Pipeline Explosion Shakes Rivers State
He declared, “If I were him, I would put more effort into creating a powerful political movement than I would into demanding a presidential run.” Additionally, Oshuntokun pointed out that Obi might find it difficult to duplicate the momentum from the 2023 election if he decides to run alone once more.
Additionally, Oshuntokun stressed how crucial Northern dissatisfaction is to the success of any meaningful opposition coalition. “If there is any chance of defeating the APC, the main opposition must come from the North, because dissatisfaction there would seriously hurt Tinubu’s chances,” he contended.
He cautioned that in order to achieve the shared objective of overthrowing the ruling party, opposition leaders would have to show that they were prepared to put aside their individual aspirations.
Shola Agboola, an Ondo State Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain, expressed doubts about the proposed coalition’s feasibility, pointing to internal SDP split.
Agboola asserted that there are two factions within the party, one headed by Simon Adesina and the other by Alhaji Shehu Musa Gabam, who he said is in charge of an illegal National Working Committee.
Agboola questioned if political leaders wishing to join the SDP were sincere and denounced the internal power struggle. As long as they don’t have a genuine goal, he said, “I am not impressed by any of the so-called political juggernauts.”
Nonetheless, Olu Agunloye, the National Secretary of the SDP, denied that the party was experiencing a leadership crisis.
He underlined that the party is benefiting from the inflow of fresh political figures.
“Under the leadership of Alhaji Shehu Gabam, there is no leadership crisis in our great party, the Social Democratic Party,” said Agunloye, welcoming the inclusion of well-known lawmakers.
El-Rufai just joined the SDP on March 10, 2025, according to Agunloye, who also denied any involvement in attempts to undermine the party.
