‘Obi, Atiku cannot mobilise support in North to defeat Tinubu’ – Ganduje

The immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, has boasted that the presidential candidates of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, respectively, do not have the grassroots structure and regional appeal required to “penetrate the North” and unseat incumbent President Bola Tinubu.

“The North is strategic in every presidential election in Nigeria. With due respect to our friends in the opposition, neither Peter Obi nor Atiku Abubakar can mobilise enough support in this region to defeat President Tinubu in 2027,” he said.

The former APC chairman also raised concerns over the growing number of political parties in the country, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to raise the bar for party registration.

He argued that only political parties with functional structures, clear ideologies and broad national reach should be recognised by the electoral body.

Ganduje’s comments come amid ongoing realignments within opposition ranks as political actors begin early consultations ahead of the 2027 general election.

He emphasised that Peter Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar lack the political backing in Northern Nigeria to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the next presidential election.

Ganduje made the remarks at a public event in Kano on Monday, where he assessed the strength of opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential poll.