2027 PRESIDENCY: OPPOSITION PARTIES IN DISARRAY, PRODUCE FACTIONAL CANDIDATES

May 26, 2026 • Dons Eze • 3 min read

As political parties tidy up their primaries this week, this is not the best of times for opposition parties, whose ambition of stopping President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2027 elections appears disarrayed by factional squabbles.

Most of the leading opposition parties, with the exception of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, and Accord, are producing multiple presidential candidates.

The NDC has former Anambra State governor and 2023 Labour Party, LP, presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi, as sole presidential aspirant and has fixed its primaries for May 29.

Accord has former presidential candidate and business tycoon, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, as sole presidential hopeful.

Factions snarl

Parties caught in the factions snarl include the Social Democratic Party, SDP; Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; and African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Already, the SDP has two presidential candidates: Prince Adewolu Adebayo of the Prof. Sadiq Gombe-led National Working Committee, NWC; and Abimbola Atanda of the Shehu Gabam camp.

A faction of the ADC, which is loyal to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Mr Dumebi Kachikwu, on Sunday, chose Kachikwu as ADC’s 2027 presidential standard bearer.

However, the Senator David Mark-led ADC, which is recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, held its primaries, yesterday, to pick a candidate from three men — former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, and Mohammed Hayattu-Deen.

The outcome of the nationwide primaries was not ready at press time. However, party leaders told Vanguard that the primaries committee, chaired by 2023 APC governorship candidate in Abia and former Pro-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Chief Ikechi Emenike, will collate and announce the results today.

The main opposition PDP is also being ferried in the same boat. While the Kabiru Turaki-led NWC has announced former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential aspirant and scheduled the primaries for May 28, the Wike-backed PDP has Senator Sandy Onor as its presidential aspirant.

Also, in the loop is out-going Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who is aspiring on an alliance of the PDP and Alliance Peoples Movement, APM. Makinde belongs to the Turaki camp.

Both factions of the PDP claim victory in a recent Supreme Court verdict on the party’s leadership crisis.

The two factions sold nomination forms for the 2027 polls, with each insisting it is the authentic PDP, developments that will hurt the losing camp at the end of the day.

Duke favoured to pick PRP ticket today

At press time, three presidential aspirants, led by former Cross River State governor, Mr Donald Duke, notable economist, Dr Nnaoke Ufere from Abia State; and Yakubu Kingsley from Edo State were facing the presidential primaries of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, which outcome is expected today, with Duke favoured to emerge as winner.

Dons Eze

DONS EZE, PhD, Political Philosopher and Journalist of over four decades standing, worked in several newspaper houses across the country, and rose to the positions of Editor and General Manager. A UNESCO Fellow in Journalism, Dr. Dons Eze, a prolific writer and author of many books, attended several courses on Journalism and Communication in both Nigeria and overseas, including a Postgraduate Course on Journalism at Warsaw, Poland; Strategic Communication and Practical Communication Approach at RIPA International, London, the United Kingdom, among others.