Public affairs analyst says rigid loyalty to Atiku Abubakar is fueling division, weakening talks with Obi, Kwankwaso, and other opposition blocs.

Public affairs commentator Dickson Iroegbu has sounded the alarm over widening cracks within Nigeria’s opposition ranks, cautioning that hardline positions and internal rivalry could derail efforts to build a formidable coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during an interview on Signature TV, Iroegbu dissected the growing tensions among opposition figures, particularly within discussions involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other emerging alliance platforms. He warned that without unity and strategic compromise, the opposition risks entering the next election cycle fragmented and ineffective.

At the heart of the problem, Iroegbu said, is what he described as the uncompromising stance of loyalists to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. According to him, many of Atiku’s supporters are pushing a rigid “Atiku or nothing” narrative, leaving little room for negotiation or alternative leadership arrangements.

He argued that such inflexibility is stalling coalition talks and making it difficult to forge a broad-based alliance capable of challenging the ruling party. “When a section insists on a single outcome, it shuts the door to consensus and cooperation,” he noted, warning that this approach could alienate other key stakeholders.

Iroegbu stressed that opposition politics at this critical stage should be guided by pragmatism rather than personal ambition. He pointed out that resistance to ideas such as zoning, power-sharing agreements, and alternative candidacies is deepening mistrust and prolonging divisions.

Highlighting the importance of key political actors, he referenced figures like Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, whose regional influence remains crucial to any viable national coalition. He maintained that constructive engagement among such leaders will determine whether the opposition can present a united front.

The analyst also warned that the ruling establishment is closely monitoring the opposition’s internal struggles, noting that prolonged disunity could ultimately strengthen President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s position ahead of 2027.

He concluded with a call for discipline, mutual respect, and genuine negotiation, emphasizing that only a united and flexible opposition can build a credible alternative capable of winning national support.