Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has described Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), as a “fantastic Nigerian” but declared there is no hope for his success in the 2027 general Elections. Fayose made the remarks during an interview on TVC’s Politics Tonight, where he argued that the fragmentation of the opposition has effectively sealed their defeat before the race begins.
Fayose pinpointed the moment the opposition’s prospects collapsed: when Obi departed for the NDC while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar remained in the African Democratic Congress (ADC). “The day he left for the NDC and Atiku Abubakar remained in the ADC, they both lost,” Fayose said. “That hope was dashed when they went their separate ways.”
He emphasized that the electorate has now studied Obi’s 2023 campaign strategy and is prepared for it. “Everybody has seen the hands of Peter Obi in 2023; they are prepared for him now. Everybody has seen Obi’s strategy,” he stated.
Drawing a historical parallel, Fayose noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) succeeded in 2015 because key figures — including former President Muhammadu Buhari and President Bola Tinubu — united behind a single platform. “The almighty Muhammadu Buhari, with a lot of votes, and President Bola Tinubu, with a lot of influence and following, all came together,” he said. “If the current opposition can’t achieve that, this election has come and gone again.”
Fayose dismissed any personal desire for popularity, framing his analysis as a pragmatic assessment of political arithmetic. “I don’t want people to like me,” he added.
The comments underscore a growing consensus among Nigerian political observers that opposition unity remains the single most critical variable for any credible challenge to the ruling party. With the 2027 cycle approaching, the failure to forge a cohesive front — despite repeated calls for coalition-building — suggests the opposition may enter the contest already fractured. Unless a unified platform emerges, the pattern Fayose describes could repeat, leaving the APC with a structural advantage that no individual candidacy can overcome.
