"Whoever Wins, Nigeria Will Lose": Sule Lamido Warns Ahead of 2027 Election
- PDP chieftain Sule Lamido criticised Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi for failing to form a united front ahead of the 2027 presidential election
- Lamido spoke during a Channels Television appearance, warning that the opposition's split was giving President Tinubu a clear electoral advantage
- The former Jigawa governor also raised broader concerns about the damage political rivalry is doing to national unity and cohesion
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Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over eight years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues
FCT, Abuja - Former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido has warned that the political rivalry between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi is working in President Bola Tinubu's favour.
Lamido, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, said a divided opposition makes it easier for the incumbent to secure a second term in 2027.
Source: Twitter
As reported by Channels Television, he made the remarks on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today, where he was asked whether the 2027 presidential contest could mirror the 2023 outcome in which Tinubu defeated both Atiku and Obi.
Why Lamido says Tinubu has the advantage
The former governor pointed to two factors he believes are strengthening Tinubu's position: the large number of serving and former governors in the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the failure of the two main opposition figures to work together.
"Because of the number of governors, both serving and former governors of the APC, and because Atiku and Obi divided their own force, it gives Tinubu the advantage," he said.
Lamido argued that a joint ticket would have presented a far more formidable challenge to the incumbent. "If they come together, it would have been a high-level canvas, you know, Atiku for president and Obi running mate, and then after four years, one takes over," he said.
The broken coalition
The two opposition leaders did attempt to build a common front. In July 2025, opposition figures adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a shared platform to challenge Tinubu. However, disagreements over party structure, leadership, and presidential ambitions gradually eroded the alliance.
By May 2026, Peter Obi had left the ADC alongside Rabiu Kwankwaso, joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where he was subsequently adopted as the party's 2027 presidential candidate. Atiku chose to remain in the ADC and went on to win its presidential primary.
Since then, Obi has maintained that any future alliance with Atiku must rest on a formal agreement between their parties, not a personal arrangement between the two men.
'Whoever wins, Nigeria will lose'
Beyond electoral tactics, Lamido expressed deeper concern about what the political competition is doing to the country.
He warned that the focus on personal ambition had pushed aside discussions about national development and unity.
"I've been saying, look, whoever wins, Nigeria will lose. That's my problem. Whoever, whether Peter Obi, Atiku, whoever wins, in terms of our unity, our economy, our love as a country of brothers and sisters, it's all gone down," he said.
He also flagged growing tension in northern Nigeria, citing what he described as propaganda, hate campaigns, and incitement as signs that political discourse had moved away from substantive issues.
"We've abandoned the traditional campaign on issues, about love, about empathy, about unity, about Nigeria, and then what can you offer? So it's not there anymore," he said.
Source: Twitter
Sule Lamido declares preferred presidential candidate
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Lamido publicly broke ranks with President Tinubu ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Lamido made his position clear during a live interview on Channels TV's Politics Today on Friday, November 13, 2026.
The former governor named a specific PDP figure as his preferred candidate for the 2027 presidential race.
Source: Legit.ng
