Nigeria's 2027 Presidential Race: Tinubu Faces No Competition, Atiku Expected to Inherit Northern Votes

Senator Orji Kalu, representing Abia North, told APC supporters that President Bola Tinubu has no serious challenger ahead of the 2027 presidential election. Speaking at an Abia APC stakeholders’ meeting, Kalu urged party unity, warned against factionalism, and urged voters in the southeast not to waste their votes, arguing the ruling APC will retain power while the opposition remains fragmented.

Dr. Jackson Lekan Ojo, a former APC chieftain, warned that former Vice‑President Atiku Abubakar is likely to inherit the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s roughly 12 million northern block votes. Ojo noted that southern votes are split among about ten candidates, diminishing their impact, and dismissed Kano Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as a negligible threat in the north. He also cautioned President Tinubu of potential betrayals within his party’s northern ranks and criticized the practice of zoning and the current federal‑character arrangements.

Both commentators highlight the expected dominance of northern voting blocs and the challenges facing opposition parties as Nigeria looks toward the 2027 election.