The Learner

  Atiku May Lose in 2027, but He Has Already (Re)Gained Something By Muhsin Ibrahim Frankly speaking, Atiku Abubakar is unlikely to win the 2027 presidential election for some of the reasons I outlined in a previous write-up. But the loss may not sting him as much as before. Why? If you missed it, I said Nigeria's opposition remains fragmented. The ruling party, APC, has more than 30 state governors, plus Ademola Adeleke (Osun State) of the Accord Party, who will ensure President Bola Tinubu wins their states. Ethno-religious sentiments will also likely favour Tinubu in two ways. First, most Christians will, again, vote for Peter Obi. Some Muslims will also vote for Tinubu for a similar reason — the Muslim-Muslim mantra is not dead! Both developments disfavour Atiku. Again, millions of Nigerians, especially in rural areas, are poor and less informed. In other words, millions are vulnerable to manipulation during elections. Thus, their ballots are for the highest bidder. W...