2027: Buhari’s Loyalists Mobilize to Block Tinubu’s Second-Term Bid

As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, President Bola Tinubu is encountering rising opposition from factions within his own political circle.

Notably, some of the strongest allies of former President Muhammadu Buhari, previously united under the All Progressives Congress (APC) umbrella, are now aligning themselves with opposition movements to scuttle Tinubu’s second-term ambition, according to observations by LMSINT MEDIA.

What initially appeared to be hushed disagreements among the APC’s influential power brokers has now grown into open resistance, involving many of Buhari’s most trusted lieutenants.

Among the prominent figures are ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, along with other key members of Buhari’s cabinet such as Rotimi Amaechi and Abubakar Malami. These individuals, once considered pillars of the APC, have begun to coalesce around a new opposition alliance, fueling fresh questions about the governing party’s internal cohesion. A former National Chairman of the APC, John Odigie-Oyegun, is also part of the emerging bloc.

This new coalition recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform, with the controversial selection of ex-Senate President David Mark as interim national chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as its secretary.

Internal cracks within the APC are not exactly novel. Tinubu, who was instrumental in Buhari’s 2015 rise to the presidency, now appears increasingly alienated from the same network he once helped empower.

The APC itself was created in 2013 as a merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP).

Although the coalition was a strategic masterstroke, it was always delicate. Buhari’s 2015 presidential victory — his fourth attempt — largely rode on Tinubu’s political reach in the South-West, alongside powerful alliances with northern heavyweights like El-Rufai and Amaechi.

By the 2023 election cycle, the political tide had shifted. Tinubu, describing his presidential aspiration as a “lifelong ambition,” secured the APC nomination despite fierce challenges from within the party ranks.

His eventual win came in a general election riddled with controversy, including a chaotic currency redesign, the divisive Muslim-Muslim ticket, and serious concerns over his health and cognitive performance during the campaign.

Remarkably, Tinubu lost in the so-called ‘K states’ — Kano, Kaduna, and Katsina — all seen as Buhari’s northern fortresses, yet still won the presidency.

Tinubu’s connection with Nasir El-Rufai had always been transactional.

After initially being considered for a cabinet appointment under Tinubu’s administration, El-Rufai was later removed based on a security report. Their falling out was rapid and bitter.

“Forgive me for bringing this evil Tinubu to power in 2023. It won’t happen again in 2027. The guy is gone,” El-Rufai reportedly told a group of his supporters in May, a remark that went viral on social media and gave a boost to northern opposition elements.

El-Rufai, who previously served as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, has since decamped to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), where he is said to be coordinating a wider coalition involving elements of the ADC, PDP, SDP, and disenfranchised APC members.

While the coalition appears powerful on paper, boasting veterans like Atiku Abubakar, Sule Lamido, David Mark, Aminu Tambuwal, Amaechi, and Babachir Lawal, questions still swirl around its ideological consistency and ability to stay united.

Even Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, has described the coalition’s maneuver as illegitimate, arguing that they are working with expired party officials.

“The coalition is dealing with people whose tenure expired in 2022. We are watching with amusement,” Kachikwu stated.

In spite of these headwinds, Tinubu is not seen as a political rookie. Often called the “master strategist” for crafting the APC and capturing Lagos for the opposition in 1999, he has survived numerous political battles.

A top Tinubu aide, speaking anonymously, said the president is “unshaken” by the new coalition, and is already working to rebuild alliances.

“Remember 2023? They said he wouldn’t survive the Muslim-Muslim backlash. They said he wouldn’t get the APC ticket. He did both. Don’t count him out,” the aide insisted.

Tinubu is also reported to be reaching out to traditional northern political power structures to rebuild confidence, especially in states he lost last time.

There are even speculations that Tinubu could replace his vice president, Shettima, with Rabiu Kwankwaso of Kano State to boost his 2027 chances.

With the PDP still fragmented and the APC battling internal mutiny, the 2027 contest could dramatically redefine Nigeria’s political landscape once again. But, at least for now, both sides are adopting a wait-and-see strategy.

Meanwhile, some of Buhari’s loyalists, operating under the banner of the Forum of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) within the APC, recently reiterated their support for President Tinubu.

During a gathering in Abuja on Thursday, this bloc included dignitaries such as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dr. Tajudeen Abbas (who was represented), Katsina State Governor Dr. Dikko Radda, Niger State Governor Umar Bago (also represented), Foreign Affairs Minister Maitama Tuggar, former Nasarawa State Governor Senator Tanko Al-Makura, former Katsina Governor and former House Speaker Aminu Bello Masari, and the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), retired General Buba Marwa.

They emphasized that, although individuals are free to pursue their ambitions, they should not do so under the pretext of being “defunct CPC members.”

Addressing the question of whether their bloc would still stand behind Tinubu, Hon. Farouk Adamu expressed confidence that the president would continue as their candidate in 2027.

“We are with Tinubu just as we stood with our leader (Buhari), and we strongly believe Tinubu will remain our candidate for 2027,” he declared.

The anti-Tinubu coalition, meanwhile, hopes to replicate the 2015 strategy, when a patchwork of opposition parties overthrew an incumbent.

But Tinubu, whose political style is famously unpredictable, may still have several tricks up his sleeve.

And in Nigerian politics, underestimating a veteran strategist can come with a steep price.

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List of Buhari Loyalists, Allies Now with ADC:

• Rotimi Amaechi
• Abubakar Malami
• Hadi Sirika (Buhari’s nephew)
• Rauf Aregbesola
• Kashim Imam
• Chief John Odigie Oyegun