A former chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Peter Ameh, has said that former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, remains the strongest opposition figure capable of defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Ameh, who spoke during an interview with Arise TV on Wednesday, argued that Nigeria’s political terrain has shifted from reliance on entrenched structures to one driven by public trust, grassroots connection, and nationwide appeal—qualities he said Obi uniquely embodies.
He noted that there’s a good chance that the coalition can remove an underperforming government, but this must be predicated on certain factors.
“You need candidates that have momentum, that have public appeal, that have organic depth of support to be able to go into the ballot so that you have the opportunity to remove the current government,” he said.
He dismissed recent calls for the opposition to field a northern candidate in the next presidential election, saying such reasoning ignores the present realities of voter awareness and expectations.
“For me, I think that candidate should be Peter Obi, a candidate that goes around from state to state, that moves from Jigawa to Abuja to Kastina, Kastina to Kaduna, even to Olamaboro in Kogi State, and has been to several technical institutions, nursing school,” he said.
Ameh said what Nigeria needs now are leaders who understand the nation’s challenges from close proximity, not individuals who “have not been able to even know the route that links from Ogugu to Enugu.”
Citing the 2023 presidential election, he maintained that Obi proved his strength despite lacking traditional political backers such as sitting governors or senators.
“There was no political entrenchment, there was no political structure. People say, oh, they are three people tweeting in one room, there are no governors, there are no senators. But that election, Obi has proven beyond reasonable doubt that… people have interest in him,” he said.
He also highlighted Obi’s dominance in the South, despite the presence of strong political figures in both the PDP and APC.
“Overall in the South, Obi had 44.5%, Atiku had 19.4%, Tinubu had 35.5%, and Kwankwaso had 0.48%. He defeated every candidate there,” he said.
Ameh further alleged that results in some states were manipulated, particularly in Rivers, where he cited investigative reports from the BBC and Premium Times.
“If you look at the BBC report exposé done on River State, including Premier Times, you will find out that Peter Obi defeated every other candidate in River State. These are data that are verifiable,” he added.
He warned against the return of candidates who fail to demonstrate connections with everyday Nigerians, especially those suffering the brunt of economic and security crises.
“We can’t just sit down and then try to put up candidates that are not going out there to sell themselves, to go around to connect with Nigerians, to show compassion to people who are going through crisis, like what happened in Makwa, and then we go and elect candidates again that will now start to draw Nigerians back,” he said.
