APC may lose support base if Atiku and Obi run together in 2027, party chieftain warns

Dominic Alancha, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says a joint ticket between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi could deal a heavy blow to the ruling party in the 2027 elections.

Abubakar and Obi contested the 2023 presidential election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP) platforms, respectively, but both lost to Bola Tinubu of the APC.

Tinubu won with 8,794,726 votes, Abubakar polled 6,984,520, while Obi came third with 6,101,533 votes.

On July 2, 2025, opposition leaders—including Atiku and Obi—adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their coalition platform to challenge Tinubu in 2027.

Speaking on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ programme, Alancha asked Tinubu to drop the Muslim-Muslim formula in the 2027 polls.

Alancha, who also leads the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum (NENF), said retaining the Muslim-Muslim ticket would give the opposition a ready campaign tool.

“In 2027, the dynamics may not be the same as what happened in 2023,” he said.

“If Peter Obi and Atiku can align, have a consensus among themselves and agree on a single ticket, I’m telling you it’s going to deplete our support base because, at the table, they already have over 13 to 14 million votes.

“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.

“What we are telling the president, as members of the APC and as citizens in touch with the grassroots, is that there may be quietness now, but when campaigns commence, there are going to be serious issues.

“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. If Obi and Atiku come together, we are talking about almost 14 million votes against our eight million votes from the 2023 general elections.”

Alancha also expressed concern over speculation about a possible return of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2027.

“Jonathan is around the corner. Nobody should wave aside that issue because it’s a serious one,” the APC chieftain said.

“There are certain persons within the north pushing for Jonathan, ‘bring back Jonathan to them’. In fact, they are forming a cult-like following around that agenda.

“If Jonathan is on the ballot, and Atiku and Obi are also there, believe me, the Muslim-Muslim ticket is not going to fly. Let’s have a balance on that ticket.”