A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dan Ulasi, says it will take some magic for any opposition candidate to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, citing divisions among opposition parties.
Ulasi said the opposition was more fragmented than it was during the 2023 general election, making it difficult for political parties seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to mount an effective campaign.
Speaking during an interview on ARISE News on Friday, Ulasi described Tinubu as one of Nigeria’s most strategic politicians and warned opposition figures against underestimating his political strength.
“You know, in 2023, I said on this platform that if anybody takes President Tinubu for granted, you know, you’re doing it at your own peril. It’s one of the most strategic politicians in this country,” he said.
Ulasi recalled an encounter with opposition figures before the 2023 election, when he questioned their confidence in defeating Tinubu.
“When he was coming up, we had an emergency meeting somewhere, you know, Atiku, everybody was there, and people were governors. Ah, you had won already. I said you must be jokers,” he said.
He said he challenged the opposition’s preparedness for the election, asking what it had done on the ground to demonstrate that its candidate would win.
“I said who has he won? That Atiku sitting down there, which election has he won against Tinubu? What have we done on the ground to show that Atiku will win?” Ulasi said.
He added that the outcome of the election vindicated his concerns.
“And we went to that election. What happened? Tinubu won,” he said.
Assessing the political landscape ahead of 2027, Ulasi said the opposition’s divisions had worsened since the last presidential election.
“And we’re again in another cycle of election. Like you rightly said, the opposition is so fragmented now, worse than it was in 2023,” he said.
He added that the prospects of defeating Tinubu remained uncertain, given the current political situation.
“So only God will answer that question. If there is some divine process going on. But as things are on the ground, it will take some magic for anybody to stop Tinubu. I can tell you that,” he said.
Ulasi also identified Peter Obi as the only serious opposition figure, although he questioned whether opposition parties were doing enough to capitalise on the government’s shortcomings.
“There is only one serious opposition, which is Peter Obi,” he said.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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