The Labour Party has renewed debate about opposition unity ahead of the 2027 general election, with a section loyal to Peter Obi and Abia State Governor Alex Otti claiming that only a united front can defeat President Bola Tinubu.
In a conversation with our correspondent, Prince Tony Akeni, the LP’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, asked former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to abandon his presidential ambitions and support Obi if he truly wants to save Nigeria from “the agony of misrule.”
“If Atiku can go deep inside his soul and demonstrate that he truly loves this country by standing up to support Obi for the presidency, he can then choose anybody of his choice—even his last born—as the vice-presidential candidate,” he said.
“Tinubu will be the easiest incumbent in the world to defeat in 2027. The only thing that can prevent that is if Atiku insists that he must be president at all costs.”
Akeni highlighted opposition unity as the only solution to what he called “the tragedy of divided ambition,” which has frequently resulted in triumph for the ruling party.
He also claimed Tinubu’s administration was “overloaded with greed and defections” and predicted that the ruling All Progressives Congress would implode.
“I have no fear about a one-party state. What should be conveyed to Tinubu and his brinksmen is sympathy. Let him know that we of the Labour Party sympathize with him because he is carrying, with this decamping domino, a nest of soldier ants into his scrotum,” Akeni said.
“When the crash comes, he should remember that we said so and accept our sympathy in advance. What he is doing is overloading his boat, which hunger is already tearing apart in the country.”
Akeni also applauded Obi’s leadership qualities, likening him to Singapore’s late Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, who transformed his country through discipline, meritocracy, and national vision.
“If Obi is able to assemble patriotic Nigerians whose spirit embraces the entire country, not ethnic lines, he will make a difference,” he added.
However, Atiku, who ran in the 2023 presidential election for the Peoples Democratic Party and finished second to Tinubu, has said in recent interviews that he will not step down for Obi or any other opposition candidate.
Instead, the former vice president has urged a broad coalition of opposition parties ahead of 2027, arguing that leadership should be decided via consensus rather than personal sacrifice.
Ayo Olorunfemi, the LP’s Deputy National Chairman, responded independently, dismissing fears of a one-party state or the demise of democracy before 2027.
“If there is no election, then there is anarchy. What we are seeing is not anarchy; it’s simply politics. People are responsible for their choices. If they decide to give everything to APC, that is their choice—and they will live with the consequences.” Olorunfemi said
“Nigerians are already suffering from the consequences of their choice in 2015. Are we not?”
