The Democratic Front (TDF) has described the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the only political party with a strong grassroots presence in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said this contradicted claims by some opposition parties that they had widespread support across the country.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, TDF said its position followed an in-depth analysis of the major political parties.
The statement read:
“It is interesting to note that while the APC enjoys the goodwill of its members currently holding political offices, opposition parties remain embroiled in internal disputes and legal battles following their primary elections.
“It is even more intriguing to observe that no factor brightens the APC’s chances of victory in the coming presidential election more than the opposition’s loss of direction and lack of concrete economic action plans ahead of the 2027 election.
“The mammoth crowd that attended the recent flag-off of the APC presidential campaign in Kaduna was undoubtedly an intimidating show of strength capable of demoralising the opposition. It also provided further evidence of the ruling party’s dominant presence in the political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“It is disturbing to note that opposition parties have sustained their presence mainly on social media. This confirms the recent observation by Dr Umar Ardo, Convener of the Northern League of Democrats, that ‘the campaign is one-sided’ in favour of the APC.
“For us, the absence of opposition parties at the grassroots is not surprising. Since the beginning of the Tinubu administration in May 2023, the self-acclaimed opposition leaders, including ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and his NDC counterpart, Peter Obi, have spent considerable time and energy searching for unfounded scandals to discredit the government, rather than aggregating and articulating public interests in evaluating government policies and programmes.
“In their desperate attempt to exploit the global rise in fuel prices, both Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi abandoned their long-held positions and promises to withdraw the fuel subsidy if elected president. They did so, apparently, to win the votes of uninformed voters, rather than uphold the national interest.
“We note that Atiku and Obi’s U-turn on the fuel subsidy issue has proved counterproductive for the opposition. Many Nigerians now view the two opposition figures as opportunistic and transactional politicians who are willing to compromise national interests for personal gain.
“From all indications, the 2027 election campaign has commenced in earnest. However, the direction of political events is being shaped by the APC’s activities, grassroots mobilisation capacity, macroeconomic achievements and major infrastructure projects across the country.”
The group said it would not be surprising if the APC won the January 2027 presidential election with ease.
