The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Secretary, Ajibola Basiru, has described President Bola Tinubu as the 'grandmaster of coalitions' who will defeat any alliance formed against him in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.

Basiru's comments come in response to the coalition reportedly being formed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party's Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who met on Tuesday night to finalize modalities for an official unveiling of their alliance.

According to reports, the opposition coalition aims to prevent President Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027. El-Rufai had on Wednesday vowed that their alliance would ensure Tinubu is "returned to Lagos State" by removing him from power.

Dismissing the viability of the opposition's plans, Basiru stated: "They are not forming any coalition, and if they are, President Tinubu is the grandmaster of coalitions. He is a chieftain of the National Democratic Coalition, which was the mother of coalitions that helped remove the military from power."

"So, how can they use a coalition to challenge the grandmaster of coalitions? Our party is also well-versed in forming alliances. We were the first party to form a congress made up of major political parties," he added.

The APC National Secretary further questioned the opposition's motives, suggesting their coalition efforts contradict their previous claims about the 2023 election results.

"Nigerians should be aware that the lies they told about winning the 2023 election are now coming to light. If indeed they believe they won the 2023 election, why are they talking about a coalition for 2027? They should just go back to their political parties," Basiru remarked.

He expressed confidence in President Tinubu's prospects for re-election, stating: "The truth is that they lost the 2023 election, and by the grace of Almighty God, they will lose the 2027 election as well. President Tinubu of the APC will win."

Basiru concluded by questioning the opposition's intentions, claiming: "This so-called arrangement or coalition is not driven by love for Nigeria but by inordinate ambition and a sense of entitlement."

The development signals an early start to political maneuvering ahead of Nigeria's 2027 presidential election, with both the ruling party and opposition groups already positioning themselves for the contest.