Can These Men Stop Chasing Tinubu?

It begins like a chorus, a familiar rhythm swelling once more in the halls of Nigerian politics. The 2027 election is still two years away, but the anti-Tinubu overture has already hit full pitch. One by one, the political soloists are tuning up—some harmonising, others out of key—all hoping to rewrite the second stanza of Bola Tinubu’s presidency.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s soft-spoken disruptor, is back for a second act. His message: reform, not reward. But this time, he’s not alone. Obi is reportedly courting a coalition with old rival AtikuAbubakar, the perennial presidential contender, who now pitches a one-term presidency—with Obi, perhaps, as his vice-presidential understudy. Their duet may raise eyebrows, but in a system where alliances are made less on ideology and more on expediency, anything is possible.

Then there’s Nasir El-Rufai, wielding words like thunderbolts. He insists Tinubu’s re-election is a fantasy. His logic: inflation, insecurity, and disillusionment. He’s betting that even a fragmented opposition can bring down a ruling party mired in public fatigue. A bold claim—though boldness, not modesty, has always been El-Rufai’s tune.

SeyiMakinde hums a quieter melody. The Oyo State governor says he’ll only run if Nigerians demand it, but campaign posters in Kano suggest the call may already be echoing. BabachirLawal, RotimiAmaechi, and LiyelImoke are less visible, but busy backstage—structuring alliances, drafting platforms, and whispering strategy.

And Ralph Nwosu, ever the outsider, plays the role of truth-teller. His refrain is starker: “Nigerians are united by hunger.” He believes that in a country where insecurity and inflation sing louder than politics, no one—Tinubu included—is untouchable.

But here’s the catch: coalitions, like choirs, require harmony. And Nigeria’s political maestros have never been famous for singing in unison.

So, can these men stop chasing Tinubu? Perhaps the better question is: can they first stop chasing their shadows?