2027 Election: “Denying Tinubu a Second Term Is Risky for Nigeria,” Activist Warns Atiku, Peter Obi

• Pro-Democracy Activist, Comrade Razaq Olokoba, has explained why weakening President Tinubu’s re-election chances could damage Nigeria’s political stability in 2027
• In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, the activist insisted that threats to democracy stem from internal decay within opposition parties, not the actions of the ruling APC
• Amid allegations that Tinubu is driving Nigeria into a one-party state, Comrade Razaq Olokoba urged Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and other opposition parties hit with high-profile defections to look inwards

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

Lagos, Nigeria - Comrade Razaq Olokoba, convener of the Defend Nigeria Movement (DNM) and Nigeria’s Unite for Democracy (NUD), has warned that denying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a second term in office could pose significant risks to Nigeria’s political stability.

Is Nigeria becoming a one-party state? Activist speaks

In an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Olokoba defended Tinubu against accusations of pushing Nigeria towards a one-party state and blamed the current state of the opposition on its own failures.

He said:

“Nigerian politicians are very irresponsible. Because they are saying it, Nigerians are also echoing it. What are the indices of one one-party state? Is the oppression of views. To decimate opposition.”

The warning comes amid high-profile defections from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), notably by Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta state and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, who moved along with their full party structures.

Recall that on June 12, 2025, President Tinubu denied any plan to eliminate opposition, stressing that APC remains open to new entrants and is not to blame for the opposition’s internal crises. He urged parties to focus on internal reforms instead of casting blame.

Activist to opposition: “You are the architects of your collapse”

Speaking with Legit.ng, Olokoba echoed this stance, stating that it is irresponsible to accuse Tinubu of decimating opposition forces.

He emphasised that strong opposition is necessary for a healthy democracy but accused the PDP and Labour Party of internal negligence and disorder, not presidential suppression.

Throwing a jibe at the PDP, the activist said:

“Is it Tinubu that locked up their office in Abuja? They didn’t pay their dues and it’s Wike their member that did so.

“A party has a crisis; if you sell a commodity and you are selling, I should look at my brand if I’m not selling as much as you.

“I am not happy that opposition is not strong because what makes democracy complete is when you have strong political party and when your party is not strong, your democracy will have a challenge.

“If your democracy is sick, there will be no development. So I hold PDP, Labour members and leadership responsible for their problems. So, because you have a challenge, APC should decimate their own party. That’s reckless and irresponsible. And I don’t expect Nigerians to also be saying that.

“If you check the definition of one-party state, it is going to be one-party. You will wear your net again as a new party and are suppressed, so we are not seeing that under Tinubu. So, rather than talking about a one-party state, we should talk about the irresponsible nature of the opposition.

Tinubu’s second term is crucial for Nigeria's unity - Activist

Furthermore, the activist described Nigeria’s politics as identity-driven and warned that excluding Tinubu from a second term could destabilize the nation.

He urged Nigerians to understand the president’s long-term policies, especially regarding financial management, rather than focusing on the 2027 politics, adding that Tinubu’s refusal to borrow funds, unlike past leaders, reflects a strategic economic shift meant to save Nigerians from debt traps.

Comrade Razaq Olokoba told Legit.ng that:

“Two years is too long to be doing and talking about Tinubu’s re-election. But if I’m a president, if the opposition is doing politics with all the policies I’m making, I’ll play politics with them too, I will warn the opposition.

“We are all in it together. The political class in Nigeria are the ones that brought us to this point that we are today. We are not discussing policies with the president, we are not discussing his programmes, all we are talking about is the next election. Both the opposition and the incumbent, are responsible for what is going on.

“It will be too risky to say that Tinubu should not go for a second term.

“The way Nigeria is structured, which is a culture of identity. Identity in the sense that it is south. If we don’t bring him back again, we are going to rupture a lot of things.

“The other consideration is that, is Tinubu doing the right thing? But this is a period for Nigerians to build a barricade around the government.

“When Buhari was in power, the impression on our faces made him to go and start borrowing to assuage our complaints because we are impatient. So, every succeeding president will always go and borrow to assuage you but Tinubu is not doing that, which brings more pain rather he took reasonable loan with an agreement that is not going to enslave us. So, we must be very patriotic enough to understand what he is doing. If we don’t take time and understand wha he is doing, we are running our country down. That is why it very important for us to deliberately and consciously understand what the government is doing.”

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• Gowon declares end to Military rule in Nigeria
• Obasanjo sends crucial message to Nigerian leaders: “We’re not done yet”

2027 election: NASS leadership endorses Tinubu for second term

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Senate President Godswill Akpabio at the APC national summit in Abuja on Thursday, may 22, moved a motion endorsing President Tinubu as the party’s sole candidate for the 2027 election.

The endorsement was unanimously supported by National Assembly leaders, including the House Speaker and Deputy Senate President.

Akpabio mocked the PDP following the recent gale of defections and maintained that despite the current economic realities, Tinubu has performed well and deserved to be re-elected in office.

Source: Legit.ng