Former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose has said the decision by Peter Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to pursue separate presidential bids has weakened the opposition ahead of the 2027 election.
Fayose made the assessment on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, during an interview on TVC’s Politics Tonight, describing Obi as a “fantastic Nigerian” but saying the opposition’s division had damaged his chances of defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), while Atiku is contesting under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Fayose said the split had deprived the opposition of the combined strength needed to mount a formidable challenge against President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
He also argued that Obi’s 2023 presidential campaign had given opponents sufficient insight into his political strategy.
“Everybody has seen the hands of Peter Obi in 2023; they are prepared for him now,” he said.
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Fayose cited the APC’s formation in 2013 and its victory over the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015 as proof of the electoral value of opposition unity.
The APC coalition produced Muhammadu Buhari, who defeated incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, ending the PDP’s 16-year hold on the presidency.
Fayose said the current opposition would need similar cooperation to unseat the APC in 2027.
“If the current opposition can’t achieve that, this election has come and gone again,” he said.
His remarks came as campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections opened on August 19, 2026, intensifying the race for political alliances ahead of the January 16, 2027 poll.
In 2023, Tinubu won the presidential election with 8,794,726 votes, ahead of Atiku’s 6,984,520 and Obi’s 6,101,533.
With the campaign season underway, opposition parties face renewed pressure to resolve competing ambitions and forge a common front against the APC.