2027: Atiku, Peter Obi take decision on single ticket against Tinubu as election outcome predicted

• G100 opposition alliance stakeholders are exploring a run-off strategy for the 2027 presidential election amid stalled single-candidate talks
• Sources said both Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi have shown no willingness to back a consensus candidate despite ongoing G100 consultations
• The G100 held its first opposition summit in Abuja on August 31, but both Atiku, Obi and APM candidate Seyi Makinde were absent

The G100 opposition alliance is drawing up contingency plans for a possible run-off in the 2027 presidential election, as efforts to get former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra state governor Peter Obi to back a single opposition candidate show no signs of progress.

Sources within the G100 said that despite active consultations with both politicians, the alliance was already thinking beyond a consensus candidacy arrangement and exploring what cooperation might look like should that option collapse entirely, according to The Punch.

2027: Why G100 Is Still Engaging Atiku and Obi

Both Atiku, who is the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, and Obi, who is the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, have continued to pursue their own presidential ambitions while expressing general support for broader opposition cooperation. Neither has shown any clear interest in stepping aside for a single candidate.

One source cited by The Punch explained the purpose of the continued engagements:

"Both have not shown any kind of inclination or acceptance of the single candidacy at this time. But of course, there are other plans. The plan may include a possible run-off or other issues that may come up. So, these are the issues. These are why these meetings were convened: to bring Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi back to the table and get their commitment to the ongoing discussion."

A second source pointed to internal research as a key driver of the run-off thinking:

"The two major opposition leaders, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, seem to be less concerned about the single-candidacy plan of the G100. But they still need one another because the G100, from the statistics we are having and the research conducted, there may not be a straight-up easy winner. A winner may not emerge in the first round," he said.

Under Section 134 of the Nigerian Constitution, a second election can be held if no candidate meets the requirements for a presidential win in the first round. The Independent National Electoral Commission also has provisions for a run-off where neither the required vote share nor the geographical spread thresholds are met.

2027: G100 Summit Held, Key Figures Absent

The G100 held its inaugural opposition summit at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja on August 31, drawing representatives from the ADC, Allied Peoples Movement, Nigeria Democratic Congress, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party and Social Democratic Party. Atiku, Obi and APM presidential candidate Seyi Makinde were all absent from the gathering.

The national publicity secretary of the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP faction, Ini Ememobong, reaffirmed his group's commitment to the G100:

"We have resolved that the only way to rescue Nigeria from the maladministration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC is for the opposition parties to come together."

APM national publicity secretary Abubakar Yusuf also confirmed his party's continued involvement, while noting that Makinde remained in the race. Attempts to reach Atiku's media aide Paul Ibe, PRP National Chairman Akeem Baba-Ahmed, and APM Chairman Yusuf Dantalle were unsuccessful, the newspaper said.

The Economist Predicts Winner of Nigeria's 2027 Presidential Election

Meanwhile, London-based The Economist has argued that President Tinubu could secure a second term in the January 2027 presidential election, despite being broadly unpopular among Nigerians.

In an article titled "Nigerians Dislike Their President, But May Re-elect Him Anyway," the magazine pointed to what it described as Nigeria's "complicated electoral dynamics" as the key reason the incumbent retained a plausible path to victory. These included political cynicism, a divided opposition, religious identity, incumbency advantages and historically low voter turnout in insecurity-hit areas.