2027 Presidency: Lukman Urges Obasanjo to Lead Opposition Coalition Against Tinubu

Salihu Lukman, a former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), has urged former President Olusegun Obasanjo to spearhead efforts to unify opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election to prevent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reelection.

In an open letter titled “Satanic Leadership and Nigeria’s Boiling Point,” Lukman emphasized that the current divisions within opposition parties—Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)—would make it easy for the All Progressives Congress (APC) to retain power in 2027.

“If the opposition remains fractured, President Tinubu will coast to an effortless second term victory,” Lukman cautioned in his letter, made public on Monday in Abuja.

The Kaduna-born politician called on Obasanjo and other former leaders, including Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Goodluck Jonathan, and Muhammadu Buhari, to rally opposition forces and create a strong, functional political platform capable of delivering visionary and ethical leadership.

“It is no longer enough to lament about the dominance of bad governance. If respected leaders like yourself fail to exercise moral influence to encourage the emergence of Godly and capable leadership, you inadvertently pave the way for a second term for President Tinubu and his team,” Lukman stated.

He stressed the urgency of addressing the mistakes of the past, particularly those that weakened political systems and allowed “unethical leadership” to thrive.

“My appeal to you and other past leaders is to actively support efforts aimed at raising credible, competent, and ethical leaders. This can only happen if past errors, which contributed to the current challenges, are corrected,” Lukman added.

Reflecting on Nigeria’s political history, Lukman referenced the formation of the PDP in 1998, which brought together patriotic Nigerians and led to Obasanjo’s election as president in 1999. He argued, however, that certain political practices during Obasanjo’s administration—such as candidate imposition—undermined the country’s democratic foundations.

“Under your leadership in the PDP, ahead of the 2007 elections, the imposition of candidates became a norm. This unfortunate trend weakened internal democracy and paved the way for a flawed political system,” he observed.

He further criticized the electoral irregularities that marred the 2007 elections, recalling how results were declared prematurely under the leadership of Prof. Maurice Iwu as INEC Chairman.

“Without intending to sound accusatory, we cannot ignore how electoral manipulation under your watch during the 2007 elections damaged public trust in the democratic process,” Lukman stated.

He urged Obasanjo to reflect on these issues and use his position to help address the twin challenges of “candidate imposition” and “electoral malpractice” as a means of restoring the integrity of Nigeria’s democracy.

“There can be no meaningful reform without confronting the political problems of rigging and candidate imposition, which have stalled Nigeria’s democratic progress,” he emphasized.

Lukman appealed to all stakeholders, particularly opposition leaders, to unite and build a platform capable of challenging the APC’s dominance and offering Nigerians a credible alternative in 2027.

“With your experience and influence, you have the responsibility to help Nigeria produce leaders who can chart a new course for development and restore hope to the people,” Lukman concluded.