A National Vice-President of the Labour Party in the South-West, Abayomi Arabambi, has described former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the only serious opposition figure he believes can mount a credible challenge against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Arabambi made the assertion during an interview on TVC’s Politics Tonight, where he assessed the emerging political alignments ahead of the next general election.
According to him, while Tinubu remains the incumbent, Atiku is the only opposition politician he currently considers prepared to engage the President in a serious presidential contest.
“We have a sitting president that is one, and we have only one contender against the president,” Arabambi said, insisting that Atiku was the opposition figure he considered most prepared to challenge Tinubu.
The Labour Party chieftain, however, dismissed the prospect of Peter Obi contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Arabambi described Obi as a political figure who, in his view, focuses more on commenting on national issues than preparing for another presidential contest.
He also criticised Obi’s frequent use of statistics when discussing the economy and other national issues, alleging that some of the figures cited by the former Anambra State governor were inaccurate.
Arabambi went further to claim that Obi would not participate in the 2027 presidential race, saying the leadership of the opposition movement was aware of his position.
The remarks come amid continuing uncertainty over the configuration of opposition parties and the possibility of a broad coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Atiku and Obi were both major contenders in the 2023 presidential election, with Atiku finishing second behind Tinubu and Obi coming third.
Political negotiations since then have focused largely on whether opposition parties can unite behind a single candidate capable of challenging the incumbent.
Arabambi also weighed in on the contentious issue of presidential zoning.
He argued that the presidency is currently zoned to the South and should remain there until the region completes an eight-year tenure.
He recalled that Atiku contested the 2023 election after former President Muhammadu Buhari completed his two terms, but Nigerians ultimately elected Tinubu.
The Labour Party official’s comments come at a time when political actors are increasingly positioning themselves ahead of 2027, with supporters of various potential candidates already mobilising across the country.
His assessment, however, represents his personal political position and does not necessarily reflect the official stance of the Labour Party or other opposition groups.
With the 2027 contest expected to feature intense negotiations over alliances, zoning and candidate selection, the question of who can emerge as the principal challenger to Tinubu remains one of the central issues shaping Nigeria’s political landscape.
