The Democratic Front (TDF) has described the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as the only political party with a wide grassroot presence in Nigeria, contrary to claims of strength and widespread support by some key opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, the group said its position was the outcome of a thorough analysis of the parties.
The statement said: “It is interesting to note that while the APC enjoys the goodwill of its members currently holding political offices and others, the opposition parties are locked in internal rancour and legal issues after their primary elections.”
The group also argued that the opposition’s loss of direction and lack of concrete economic action plans ahead of the 2027 election have strengthened the APC’s chances in the presidential race.
TDF pointed to the crowd at the recent launch of the APC presidential campaign in Kaduna as a show of strength likely to demoralize the opposition. It described the turnout as additional evidence of the ruling party’s dominant presence in the political landscape.
The group said the opposition parties have sustained their presence mainly on social media. It cited the recent view of Dr. Umar Ardo, Convener of the Northern League of Democrats, who said the campaign is lopsided in favour of the APC.
According to TDF, the absence of opposition parties at the grassroot level was not surprising. It alleged that since the start of the Tinubu administration in May 2023, the self-proclaimed opposition leaders, ADC presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and his NDC counterpart Peter Obi, have spent too much time and energy hunting for unfounded and imaginary scandals to blackmail the government.
It said they should instead have been aggregating and articulating public interests in assessing government policies and programmes.
The group further accused both men of abandoning their long-held position and promise to withdraw fuel subsidy if elected President.
It claimed they did so in a desperate attempt to exploit the global rise in fuel prices and win the votes of uninformed voters, against overriding national interests.
TDF said the reversal on fuel subsidy has proved counterproductive for the opposition camp, as many Nigerians now see the two figures as opportunistic and transactional politicians who can compromise a national cause for personal aggrandizement.
The statement added: “From all indications, the electioneering campaign for 2027 has commenced in earnest, but the tune of political events is being dictated by APC’s political activities, due to its pedigree of grassroot mobilization, achievements in macroeconomic rebound, and novel infrastructural masterpieces across the nation.”
The group concluded that it would not be a surprise if the APC easily wins the January 2027 presidential election.
