Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, has warned that current opposition coalition plans will inadvertently strengthen President Bola Tinubu's chances for re-election in 2027 rather than challenge his administration.

Speaking on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, Sowore criticized the emerging political realignments, describing them as lacking vision and ideological substance.

"It is what they [the coalition] are doing that will make it easy for him (Tinubu) to rerun and return to office. They are preventing the real, organic coalition of the oppressed from emerging. People are getting distracted — Nigerians actually think these guys are fighting for them," he stated.

Coalition Efforts Described as 'Lonely'

Sowore further characterized the ongoing coalition talks as hollow and purposeless, questioning their ability to form a cohesive front against the ruling party.

"I'm not a lone voice — the coalition is what is lonely. That's why they can't even hold meetings or find a party to join. Now they say they want to register a party — that's loneliness. Any coalition without ideology is a lonely coalition. There's no coalition without conviction, character, or integrity," he emphasized.

His comments come amid increasing political maneuvers as various actors position themselves for the 2027 presidential race. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been at the forefront of opposition alignment efforts, reportedly holding discussions with Labour Party's Peter Obi and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who recently defected from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Fragmented Opposition Response

The coalition efforts appear far from unified. The PDP Governors' Forum has publicly distanced itself from the talks, expressing concerns about undermining the party's internal stability.

Similarly, Peter Obi has made it clear that he will not participate in any alliance formed solely for the purpose of gaining power, insisting that any merger must address Nigeria's fundamental governance challenges.

Sowore urged Nigerians to stop depending on political elites and begin crafting solutions on their own terms.

The people need to understand that the only way out is the one they design for themselves. There has to be a different direction.

"If you keep letting them do what they are doing with you — and you get distracted by all these conversations about coalitions — you are going to find yourself in a worse situation than now. That has been Nigeria's story since the emergence of civil rule," he concluded.