Amaechi, Peter Obi Best Positioned To Challenge Tinubu In 2027 – Akande

A former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has said former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, and former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi are best positioned to confront President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Naija News reports that Akande made the remark on Friday while speaking during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a programme on Channels Television.

Akande said a meaningful opposition challenge was essential for the sustainability of Nigeria’s democracy.

He said, “A meaningful challenge, the way you put it, is actually desired. You know, I even think it’s an imperative for a sustainable democracy.

“And that’s the reason why, you know, all of us must hold our voice to the enlightenment of the democratic space.”

His comment comes amid growing debate within opposition circles ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Earlier, Amaechi, a presidential aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had suggested that the party should consider fielding a southerner as its presidential candidate.

Similarly, Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, recently declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential poll.

‘Presidency Should Remain In The South’

Akande said opposition parties should recognise that the presidency is expected to remain in the southern region for the next electoral cycle.

“What ought to be clear by now, talking about the opposition, I mean the ADC, is that the presidency is going to stay in the south,” he said.

He added that uncertainty within opposition ranks was hindering the emergence of a formidable challenger to the ruling All Progressives Congress.

The former presidential aide said the continued political influence of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, was creating ambiguity within opposition politics.

He said, “And that is one of the ambivalences that is affecting the true emergence of a serious opposition, because we still have, you know, the shadows of Atiku Abubakar, who wants to run.

“I think we’ve gotten to a point in my view where the question of a national presidency has become a national concern. And it’s not wise, you know, for anybody to try to undercut that.”

Akande urged opposition parties to rally behind experienced southern politicians such as Amaechi and Obi if they intend to mount a serious challenge against Tinubu.

He further stated, “If they were serious… people like Rotimi Amaechi, people like Peter Obi ought to be the ones to be pushed forward.

“Look at Amaechi. Amaechi has been a speaker, he’s been a governor, he’s been a minister. He was second in the APC.

“Tremendous career in politics, opportunities in service… And he was the guy that was in charge of infrastructure development.”

Akande warned that if the opposition fails to present a clear southern candidate with governance experience, Atiku could still dominate the opposition political space ahead of the 2027 election.

“As things stand now, if you keep on getting the vibes that Atiku wants to do it by his means, he will probably be able to forge his way through by some means, because he seems to be the strongest politician in the party. The shadows of Atiku are still hanging heavily,” he said.