The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the “grandmaster of coalitions,” expressing confidence that he will defeat any alliance formed by opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Basiru was reacting to reports of a developing political coalition spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi. The trio reportedly met on Tuesday night to finalize arrangements for the official unveiling of their new coalition, which aims to unseat Tinubu in the next presidential election.
Speaking on Wednesday, El-Rufai stated that the coalition was determined to end Tinubu’s presidency, vowing to “return him to Lagos.”
However, in a statement released on Thursday, Basiru dismissed the coalition’s prospects, describing it as unserious and rooted in personal ambition rather than national interest.
“They are not forming any genuine coalition. But even if they are, President Tinubu is the grandmaster of coalitions,” Basiru said. “He was a key figure in the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which played a pivotal role in ending military rule in Nigeria. That was the mother of all coalitions.”
“How can they challenge a man who has mastered the art of political alliances? Our party, the APC, was built through one of the largest political mergers in Nigeria’s history. We understand coalition politics better than any other party,” he added.
Basiru also criticized the opposition for allegedly misleading Nigerians about the outcome of the 2023 elections.
“If they truly believed they won the 2023 election, why are they already strategizing for 2027? They should stick to their parties instead of forming a desperate alliance. The truth is they lost in 2023, and by God’s grace, they will lose again in 2027,” he said.
He concluded by labeling the proposed coalition as “a gathering driven by ambition and entitlement, not patriotism or love for Nigeria.”
