Tinubu supporters slam Atiku-led opposition coalition ahead of 2027 elections

On Thursday, March 27, supporters of President Bola Tinubu, under the banner of the National Coalition for Asiwaju Mandate (NCAM), strongly condemned the formation of an opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Atiku, the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, announced on March 20, 2025, that he was leading a coalition of prominent opposition leaders with the goal of unseating Tinubu in the 2027 elections. The coalition, which also includes former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kaduna State governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai, and other political figures, was unveiled at a press conference that focused on the controversial declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State.

In a statement released in Abuja, NCAM described the coalition as a “gathering of people against Nigeria.” Isaac Ikpa, NCAM’s National President, criticized the coalition, labeling its members as “expired political relics” and “political has-beens” with no genuine desire to serve the country. He accused them of being motivated by personal ambition rather than a commitment to Nigeria’s progress.

Tinubu’s supporters targeted Atiku, Peter Obi, and El-Rufai for their past records, which they claim include failed leadership, corruption, and divisive politics. They argued that the true goal of the coalition was to grab power for personal gain rather than for the nation’s benefit.

“We want Nigerians to understand that this so-called coalition unveiled by Atiku Abubakar is nothing more than a gathering of politicians seeking relevance,” said the NCAM statement. “It is a laughable attempt by individuals who have repeatedly failed the Nigerian people to rehabilitate their tarnished reputations.”

The group went on to claim that the coalition lacked vision and credibility, emphasizing that its members had no business in shaping Nigeria’s future. They warned that the coalition was doomed to fail because it was founded on hypocrisy and personal ambition rather than a sincere concern for Nigeria’s welfare.

“We stand firmly behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his Renewed Hope Agenda,” NCAM concluded. “We call on Nigerians to reject this desperate attempt by expired politicians to cling to power and to support the progress that Nigeria has made under the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”