By Kingston Magare 5.6.2026
What could have been a formidable opposition coalition in recent Nigerian political terrain was seen collapsing like a pack of cards.
A meeting of major opposition figures and parties was held in Ibadan Oyo State on April 25, 2026, with the resolved to rally round one candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. But it seems that resolution is now like the biblical “to your tents o Israel.”
Former minister of sports Solomon Dalung a vocal member of the now dismantled opposition lamented that it was greed and personal ambition that removed the sail from the boat.
“Greed has taken over. You can see the manifestation of individual ambition and interest, and the list of presidential candidates seems to be endless,” Dalung said during an interview.
“The opposition political elites are more interested in their personal ambition to access power, and that is why they are fragmented from one political party to another.”
He added there were little considerations for national unity as politicians are more interested in pushing regional and ethnic agendas.
“Nigeria has returned to the politics of the First Republic, where regions had their political parties. The election is already divided along those lines, because almost all the zones have presidential candidates.”
“So, ultimately in 2027, we may be facing serious confusion as we advance towards the election, because everybody now is going to hold on to his region. The candidates will concentrate on votes coming from their regions.”