Recently, there have been unconfirmed reports that former President Goodluck Jonathan could join the race for the 2027 presidential election. Those flying the news believe he could be the right man to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the polls.
Apart from Jonathan, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar is also seen in some circles as one of the favourites.
However, former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, Anthony Sani, in this interview with DAILY POST, rules out the possibility of Atiku and Jonathan defeating Tinubu if he they join the race in 2027. Excerpts!
With the numbers of imminent Nigerian politicians in the coalition, do you think ADC stands a chance of unseating Tinubu in 2027?
I am not a psychologist but I guess that the coalition would not be able to unseat the incumbent president precisely because the eminent people joining the ADC are from PDP. As a result,the opposition is being split and weakened by the movement to ADP.
You would recall the APC prevailed in 2023 because Peter Obi and five Governors G5 under the watch of Gov Wike left PDP. Such a split of opposition seems to repeat itself for 2027.
Can Atiku muster the kind of votes he got during the 2023 presidential election in 2027 should he decide to finally run in 2027?
Since most southerners would prefer the president to remain in the South for eight years from 2023 and most Northerners would prefer President Bola Tinubu because he is the only southerner who has only one term of four years to go, it will be difficult for former VP Atiku to device any winning game plan in the circumstance.
With the current political atmosphere in the North, where is the region likely to swing in 2027? Stay with Tinubu or back its own, Atiku if he decides to run?
I told you the dynamics of the politics of zoning does not favor Atiku because both the North and the South want the president to be in the North in 2031.
Note that in 2023, Bola Tinubu prevailed in the north despite Atiku being their own, all because of the politics of zoning.
There are reports that Jonathan has accepted to run in 2027, do you think it’s the right move?
I have read reports that former President Jonathan has agreed to join the presidential contest under the PDP. But I am not sure that will be a wise decision in the sense that the former president is politically savvy and savant enough not to know that the main opposition is currently fragmented- into former VP Atiku to contest in ADC, Peter Obi to contest in Labour Party and the former president Jonathan in PDP- and not sturdy enough to confront the incumbent and prevail.
Considering the current state of Nigeria, does Jonathan have what it takes to turn the tide around?
What is more, there is nothing in his past performances that suggests he can overcome the current insecurity, to overwhelm the corruption that steals our empowerment, steals our opportunity and steals our future, and turn the economy around.
2027: Atiku, Jonathan can’t defeat Tinubu, North wants 2031 – Arewa leader, Sani
