“Who will step down for the other? That is the key question,” says Prof Okey Ikechukwu as the anti-Tinubu coalition shifts into the ADC, with top figures like Atiku, Obi and Amaechi jostling for the 2027 ticket.
Political analyst Prof Okey Ikechukwu has raised doubts over the viability of the opposition coalition adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform to challenge the APC in 2027, warning of deep internal rivalries and poor grassroots organisation.
“Who will step down for the other? That is the key question,” he told reporters, noting that Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi have all signalled interest in the presidency. Obi and Amaechi, both southerners like Tinubu, promise a single term to allow power shift in 2031, but that, Ikechukwu warns, won’t be enough without unity.
He criticised the coalition for focusing on top-level deals rather than building structures. “Apart from Abuja, Lagos, and maybe press releases, what efforts are being made at the levels below the national?”
On the PDP crisis, he called Anyanwu’s reinstatement as National Secretary “a pyrrhic victory” that exposes deeper fragmentation: “That party is trying to pretend it still has an identity.”
Turning to the Obidient Movement, Ikechukwu warned it risks repeating 2023 mistakes. “There are no polling booths on Facebook. They must develop legs on the ground.”
On APC’s side, he advised against overcelebrating defections: “If you planned for 50 guests and 75 show up, the party could collapse.”
He urged the coalition to define ideology and build local engagement if it hopes to win. “Otherwise, this is just entertainment… it will peter out.”