2027 Presidency: Opposition parties in disarray, produce factional candidates

*SDP, ADC, PDP caught in the web

*Atiku favoured to pick ADC ticket, gets endorsements from states

By Clifford Ndujihe, Politics Editor & Luminous Jannamike

LAGOS — As political parties tidy up their primaries this week, this is not the best of times for opposition parties, whose ambition of stopping President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2027 elections appears disarrayed by factional squabbles.

Most of the leading opposition parties, with the exception of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, and Accord, are producing multiple presidential candidates.

The NDC has former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, as sole presidential aspirant and has fixed its primaries for May 29.

Accord has former presidential candidate and business tycoon, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, as sole presidential hopeful.

Factions snarl

Parties caught in the factions snarl include the Social Democratic Party, SDP; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; and African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Already, the SDP has two presidential candidates: Prince Adewolu Adebayo of the Prof. Sadiq Gombe-led National Working Committee, NWC; and Abimbola Atanda of the Shehu Gabam camp.

A faction of the ADC, which is loyal to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, on Sunday, chose Kachikwu as ADC’s 2027 presidential standard bearer.

However, the Senator David Mark-led ADC, which is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, held its primaries, yesterday, to pick a candidate from three men — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, and Mohammed Hayattu-Deen.

The outcome of the nationwide primaries was not ready at press time. However, party leaders told Vanguard that the primaries committee, chaired by 2023 APC governorship candidate in Abia and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Chief Ikechi Emenike, will collate and announce the results today.

The main opposition PDP is also being ferried in the same boat. While the Kabiru Turaki-led NWC has announced former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential aspirant and scheduled the primaries for May 28, the Wike-backed PDP has Senator Sandy Onor as its presidential aspirant.

Also, in the loop is out-going Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who is aspiring on an alliance of the PDP and Alliance Peoples Movement, APM. Makinde belongs to the Turaki camp.

Both factions of the PDP claim victory in a recent Supreme Court verdict on the party’s leadership crisis.

The two factions sold nomination forms for the 2027 polls, with each insisting it is the authentic PDP, developments that will hurt the losing camp at the end of the day.

Duke favoured to pick PRP ticket today

At press time, three presidential aspirants, led by former Cross River State governor, Mr Donald Duke, notable economist, Dr Nnaoke Ufere from Abia State; and Yakubu Kingsley from Edo State were facing the presidential primaries of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, which outcome is expected today, with Duke favoured to emerge as winner.

LP to choose between Agada, Nwigwe May 29

On its part, the LP will elect its presidential flag bearer on May 29. Those screened and cleared for the exercise are former National Treasurer of the Obidient Movement, Dr. Peter Agada, from Benue State; and 35-year-old businessman, Samuel Nwigwe, from Ebonyi State.

Atiku, Amaechi vote in ADC primary, optimistic

Meanwhile, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, and former Rivers State governor and Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday participated in the ADC presidential primaries taking place across the country.

Amaechi voted in Ward 5 in Ubima, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, alongside party members and supporters.

Atiku also cast his vote at Ajiya Ward in Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State

The exercise, held simultaneously across Nigeria’s 8,809 wards, adopted the Option A4 voting method, with accredited party members queuing openly behind their preferred aspirants.

Amaechi was seen joining other voters at the polling unit in Ubima as voting commenced in the state.

It’s democracy at work — Atiku

Favoured to pick the ticket, Atiku, yesterday got the endorsement of many state chapters of the ADC during the primaries. Chapters that endorsed him include Niger, Sokoto and Bauchi.

Reacting after voting, Atiku wrote on X: “I joined other prospective voters of African Democratic Congress in our party’s presidential primaries in casting my vote at the Ajiya Ward Polling Unit in Jimeta Yola, Adamawa State.

“This is democracy at work. The election taking place simultaneously in 8,809 wards in Nigeria is a major step in our quest to recover our beloved country and set it on the path of prosperity.”

Beyond the presidential contest, the ADC is also conducting primaries for governorship, Senate and House of Representatives positions. The exercise, however, comes amid internal disagreements within the party.

Another group on Sunday announced the dissolution of the David Mark-led National Working Committee and declared Mr. Kachikwu as its consensus presidential candidate for the 2027 election.

Despite the development, the David Mark-led leadership remains the faction recognised on the INEC’s official website and has urged members to maintain order and unity during the primary process.

We won’t jump from 3 to 30, ADC mocks APC over primary figures

Taking a swipe at the APC, the ADC declared that unlike others, it would not ‘jump from 3 to 30 or from 500 to 1000’ while counting votes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party portrayed itself as a rare example of competitive internal democracy at a time many Nigerians believe presidential candidates are increasingly being produced through backroom deals, rather than open contests.

Chairman of the ADC Presidential Primaries Election Committee, Chief Ikechi Emenike, alongside the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, and National Organising Secretary, Prince Chinedu Idigo, spoke in Abuja yesterday as voting commenced across the country to determine the party’s presidential candidate.

Emenike said: “At a time democratic values are increasingly being degraded within the nation’s political landscape, the ADC proudly stands out as the only political party in Nigeria currently demonstrating a genuine commitment to transparent, inclusive and democratic principles in the selection of its presidential candidate.

“Our aspirants are genuine presidential contenders, not some shadowy candidate contrived to confer legitimacy on a process where one man contested against himself.

“As you would have seen, we know how to count properly and arithmetically. We are ADC. We will not inflate our registration numbers to deceive Nigerians. And when counting votes, we will not jump from 3 to 30 or from 500 to 1000.”

Spokesman of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, insisted that ADC remained the only party currently conducting what he described as a genuinely competitive presidential primary.

He said: “We are very proud that we are the only party conducting a real primary election in this country today. Even as we speak, none of the three aspirants can confidently tell you that he will fly the ticket of the African Democratic Congress.  We are proud that we are giving Nigerians a truly competitive internal democratic process.”

ADC dismisses Kachikwu’s emergence as presidential candidate

The ADC spokesman also dismissed a rival faction that reportedly held separate congresses and announced Dumebi Kachi-kwu as the party’s presidential candidate.

He said: “If you go through the process with the Independent National Electoral Commission, leadership of the African Democratic Congress is not a matter for speculation. There are laid-down procedures within the organisation. There are specific processes you must go through and requirements you must meet.

“You need to submit a membership register. You need to provide details of your state officers. If you are conducting congresses, you must notify INEC and provide details across the states so the commission can monitor the process. They are expected to witness the congresses, monitor the results and supervise the entire exercise. All these processes have already started.

“So, for this issue to suddenly surface in Abuja on Sunday, we are left wondering what exactly is going on.

“This matter went up to the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land. It affirmed that there is only one leadership under former Senate President David Mark and former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.”

On party membership strength, Abdullahi said the ADC had 3,444,000 registered members based on records submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. “We are building a political party that is based on certain principles, one of which is transparency. So the number I have given you can be verified with INEC, and you will find it exactly as stated,” he said.

Abdullahi, however, returned to his criticism of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, accusing it of inflating membership figures ahead of the 2027 election.

He said: “What the APC is doing is amusing and laughable. They are simply setting the stage for the rigging of the 2027 election.

“By claiming that they have 20 million or 30 million members, they are trying to plant in people’s minds the idea that at least 11 million votes are already guaranteed. It is all lies.”

Also speaking, the party’s National Organising Secretary, Chinedu Idigo, said the ADC had put in place what he described as a meticulous process to ensure credible primaries across all elective positions.

“The process we have put in place is aimed at ensuring that the best candidates emerge,” he said.

On the role of INEC, Idigo said the commission had been formally notified and was monitoring the presidential primary nationwide. He said: “We gave INEC the required notices and ensured that it attended all our primaries, from the state assembly to the governorship primaries.

“Reports reaching us today indicate that the presidential primaries are also being supervised by INEC across the federation.”

“

The post 2027 Presidency: Opposition parties in disarray, produce factional candidates appeared first on Vanguard News.