2027: ‘They Fought No Democratic Battle’ – APC Slams Atiku-Obi Coalition Against Tinubu

The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has launched a blistering attack on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, questioning their democratic credentials and dismissing emerging opposition coalitions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The party in a statement issued on Tuesday, accused the two opposition figures of lacking any meaningful contribution to Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle, describing them as “serial presidential aspirants” seeking to appropriate democratic credentials they did not earn.

The statement, signed by the Lagos APC spokesman, Mogaji (Hon.) Seye Oladejo, said democracy is sustained by “consistency, sacrifice, respect for institutions, and fidelity to the will of the people,” and not by “selective outrage, convenience-driven alliances, or transactional politics.”

According to the party, a review of Nigeria’s democratic history shows that neither Atiku nor Obi played a discernible role during the struggle against military rule.

Rather, the party alleged “they were absent from the trenches when others faced detention, exile, intimidation, loss of livelihood, and death in the battle against military dictatorship. “

It insisted that Atiku and Peter Obi “made no sacrifices, bore no scars, and took no risks in defence of democratic ideals. Yet today, they seek to appropriate the moral capital earned by braver patriots.”

The Lagos APC was particularly critical of Peter Obi’s political trajectory, describing his movement across political parties as evidence of opportunism rather than ideological conviction.

“His serial movement across political platforms in pursuit of electoral fortune” the party argued “betrays not ideological depth but calculated opportunism.”

The party emphasised that, “A true democrat does not sanctify the electoral process only when outcomes flatter personal ambition.”

The party also accused Obi of encouraging grievance and intolerance when electoral outcomes do not favour him with our citing instances, and noted that democracy requires patience, institutional loyalty, and maturity.

On Atiku Abubakar, the APC said the former vice president’s long history of party defections undermines his claim to democratic consistency, “having traversed virtually every major political platform in Nigeria in his relentless quest for the presidency.”

Atiku, according to the APC “epitomizes ambition without ideological anchor,” by moving from one party to another frequently.

“It is ironic and disingenuous for a man who has been at the very centre of power to now posture as a victim of the system he helped to construct,” the party said.

The Lagos APC further dismissed ongoing efforts to build opposition coalitions, including a possible Atiku–Obi alignment, describing them as alliances driven by resentment over electoral outcomes rather than shared vision.

“Alliances forged by bitterness, entitlement, and desperation are not democratic alternatives; they are temporary shelters for unfulfilled ambition,” the party said.

It added, “Coalitions without soul, structure, or sacrifice cannot inspire national confidence.”

Reaffirming support for President Bola Tinubu, the APC stressed that, “Democracy is not defined by how loudly one protests after losing an election, but by how responsibly one behaves before, during, and after the process.”

The party challenged Atiku and Obi to publicly present their democratic credentials, insisting that Nigerians deserve leadership anchored on sacrifice, consistency, and respect for institutions.

“Nigeria deserves statesmen, not serial aspirants,” the statement said, stressing, “History will favour those who respected democratic struggle, honoured its institutions, and accepted its outcomes – not those who merely discovered democracy when ambition demanded a moral disguise.”