With two years to the 2027 general elections, Nigeria’s political class appears to have pressed pause on governance. Across the spectrum, from state assemblies to the National Assembly, from the corridors of federal power to state capitals, the priority has visibly shifted: less service delivery, more political scheming.
In place of policy execution, there’s now a feverish scramble for 2027 tickets.
Endorsements are flying, defections are unfolding, and opposition alliances are beginning to take shape. It’s the familiar dance of ambition, but this time, the music started early and it has become very loud.
While citizens battle soaring prices, worsening insecurity, and an economy teetering on the edge, many elected officials seem preoccupied with one mission: self-preservation in the next electoral cycle.
At the epicentre of this political storm is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) has now officially endorsed him as the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s sole candidate for the 2027 presidential race.
The motion, moved by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma and seconded by Kaduna’s Uba Sani at the APC strategy summit at the Presidential Villa on Thursday, was greeted with thunderous applause. Uzodimma, speaking for the governors, pledged full political and material support from their states to secure Tinubu’s re-election.
“We are united in our support for President Tinubu. He remains the best candidate to lead the country through this critical period. The Progressive Governors Forum will spare no effort to deliver electoral victory,” Uzodimma declared.
This declaration was swiftly echoed by the leadership of the National Assembly, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who also moved a matching motion of endorsement, seconded by House Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas.
“You’ve done the hard job well. Now it’s time to reward that by sending you back to the Presidency,” Akpabio said. He cited Tinubu’s economic reforms and IMF commendations as proof that Nigeria is on a recovery path.
Speaker Abbas, in his endorsement, claimed to speak for 109 Senators, 360 House members, and all 36 States Assemblies. “This is a unified voice of confidence in the president’s leadership,” he said.
But not everyone is clapping. Peter Ameh, a chieftain of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), dismissed the endorsements as “a desperate and premature bid to hold onto power at all costs.”
“Less than halfway into his first term, the APC is already scheming for 2027. This isn’t democracy, it’s panic wrapped in propaganda,” he fumed.
Ameh accused the APC of being tone-deaf to the real issues affecting Nigerians which are poverty, insecurity, and joblessness. He warned that attempts to force-feed a second-term narrative could spark national resistance.
“This is not just about politics, it’s about the soul of our democracy. Nigerians will not watch quietly while their future is sealed behind closed doors by party elites,” he said.
He called for mass vigilance and civic engagement ahead of what he termed “a defining political battle” in 2027.
“We remember 2023, not as a defeat, but as a warning. In 2027, we will not allow the people’s votes to be stolen. The time for silence is over.”
Meanwhile, the opposition isn’t sitting idle.
Key figures from major opposition parties, including the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) are in advanced coalition talks aimed at unseating the APC.
Sources close to the talks say a merger or strategic alliance is on the horizon, with the potential to produce a single presidential flagbearer capable of challenging Tinubu’s dominance in 2027.
Among those said to be involved in these conversations are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Anambra Governor Peter Obi, and former Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai. Insiders say the coalition is not just about combining votes but about crafting a compelling alternative vision for Nigeria’s future.
As politicians jostle, the consequences of neglect are beginning to bite. Armed groups are resurfacing with ferocity, especially across the North-West, North-East, and North-Central regions. Banditry, kidnapping, and insurgency are spiraling. Inflation remains high, naira weak, and basic commodities increasingly out of reach for ordinary Nigerians.
The irony isn’t lost on anyone: while the political elite focus on 2027, the real 2023 mandate which is governance lies abandoned in the dust.
For the average citizen, the campaign has come too soon, and the promises are nowhere near redemption.