A senior chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dominic Alancha, has cautioned that a potential alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Anambra State Governor Peter Obi could significantly undermine the ruling party’s chances in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Alancha warned that a joint Atiku-Obi presidential ticket could shift the political balance ahead of the polls.
“In 2027, the dynamics may change. If Peter Obi and Atiku align and present a united front, they could easily pull 13 to 14 million votes. That would seriously impact our chances,” he said.
Opposition Coalition Gains Momentum
On July 2, 2025, opposition heavyweights, including Atiku, Obi, former Senate President David Mark, ex-ministers Rauf Aregbesola and Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu.
The coalition is banking on the combined strength of Atiku and Obi, who together secured more than 12 million votes in 2023 over four million more than Tinubu, although the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner.
Muslim-Muslim Ticket Under Scrutiny
Alancha, who also leads the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum (NENF), further urged Tinubu to reconsider retaining the Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027, warning that it could alienate key voting blocs.
“If the Muslim-Muslim ticket is retained, it’s going to pose a threat and deplete our support base. The opposition coalition is not sleeping; they are working very seriously,” he said.
He argued that the formula, which sparked criticism in 2023, weakened APC’s national appeal and could provide the opposition with a powerful campaign message.
“Preparation Precedes Manifestation”
Alancha emphasized the need for the APC to begin early preparations for 2027.
“It is not too early in the day because preparation precedes manifestation. If you’re not preparing to succeed, then you must have been planning to fail,” he said.
The NENF had previously warned the President that repeating the 2023 ticket risked alienating northern Christians and shrinking the party’s electoral reach.
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