Atiku-Obi merger may jeopardize party’s 2027 chances – APC chieftain

A prominent member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dominic Alancha, has expressed concerns that a potential alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, could pose a major threat to the ruling party in the 2027 general elections.

Alancha, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, noted that if both opposition figures unite on a joint presidential ticket, it could drastically weaken the APC’s support base nationwide.

“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 warned.

Ahead of the 2027 polls, opposition leaders, including Atiku, Obi, ex-Senate President David Mark, ex-ministers Rauf Aregbesola and Rotimi Amaechi, and ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, on July 2, 2025, adopted the African Democratic Congress as their coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu.

The coalition is also relying on the combined strength of Atiku and Obi, who together polled more than 12 million votes in 2023, over four million more than Tinubu, though he was declared the winner by INEC.

The APC member, who also leads the Northern Ethnic Nationality Forum, further advised Tinubu against retaining the Muslim-Muslim ticket in 2027, insisting it could erode the party’s national appeal.

“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,” he warned.

Alancha argued that retaining the Muslim-Muslim formula would present the opposition with an easy campaign tool.

“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 almost 14 million votes against our 8 million votes from the 2023 general elections,” he noted.

The NENF had earlier advised the President to avoid repeating the 2023 formula, stressing that it alienated northern Christians and limited the party’s electoral reach.