United opposition targets Tinubu as Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour confirms coalition talks with Atiku, Obi to challenge APC in 2027 presidential election

[dropcap]A [/dropcap] united opposition targets Tinubu in a strategic effort to unseat the Nigerian president ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Also read: Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour calls for vibrant opposition to challenge APC, discusses 2027 governorship ambitions

Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, the Labour Party’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, made this revelation on Tuesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics.

Rhodes-Vivour confirmed that discussions are underway between key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra governor Peter Obi, to form a coalition that will challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress. According to him, the only realistic route to electoral victory is by joining forces.

“The only way that we can move this country forward in terms of the opposition is to come together,” Rhodes-Vivour said.

“We cannot afford to divide our votes again. Add Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s votes to His Excellency Peter Obi’s votes, they’ll completely take out the current sitting president.”

He blamed past electoral defeats on fractured opposition efforts and insisted that unity is essential to dethrone the APC in the next election cycle.

He further noted that talks have reached an advanced stage and that Nigerians can expect imminent announcements.

“The conversation now is that we are working to put a coalition together. We are going to hear announcements by tomorrow or next tomorrow, and everybody is coming together.

That’s our main focus,” he said. “At that point, we can then authoritatively say this is the party that we are going to run on.”

Rhodes-Vivour used the opportunity to mount a fierce criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. He labelled the government a failure, especially in terms of economic hardship and deteriorating public welfare.

“This government ultimately has been a failure,” he declared. “When you talk about the quality of life, the cost of living, this is the highest cost-of-living crisis that Nigeria has faced in the last 40 years.”

His comments come amid rising public dissatisfaction over food inflation, fuel price hikes, and the naira’s instability. He argued that these challenges have severely undermined the lives of everyday Nigerians.

The Labour Party stalwart also pointed to alarming insecurity statistics under the Tinubu-led government, citing significant casualties across both northern and southern regions.

“You look at security: over 10,000 people have died in the North, and about 7,000 people have died in the South,” he stated.

He added that Nigeria’s international ranking on the tourism index has worsened, moving from number 8 to number 6, which he argued signals declining global confidence in the country’s safety.

“You can talk of policies all you want, but if people are experiencing hardship, simultaneously, you are renovating the vice president’s residence,” Rhodes-Vivour said, criticising the government’s spending priorities.

He extended his critique to the Lagos State Government, accusing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of serving political interests instead of improving citizens’ lives.

Rhodes-Vivour has long maintained that the Lagos administration is more interested in protecting party interests than solving infrastructural and economic challenges faced by the people.

The coalition talks appear to be gaining momentum as discontent with the APC mounts nationwide. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Atiku, Obi, and other PDP figures have been meeting in Abuja to finalise terms for the united front.

While the coalition’s eventual political platform has yet to be revealed, Rhodes-Vivour assured the public that an announcement would come within days.

Also read: Tinubu never liked me, I belonged to Buhari’s camp – El-Rufai

Observers say this may be Nigeria’s most credible opposition challenge since 2015. With the united opposition targeting Tinubu directly, the political atmosphere is heating up well ahead of the 2027 elections.