Former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Mohammed Lukman, has cautioned Nigeria’s opposition parties against repeating the mistakes that contributed to their defeat in the 2023 general election, warning that failure to unite ahead of the 2027 polls could hand the ruling party another victory.

Lukman said persistent divisions, personal ambitions and weak coordination among opposition leaders pose a significant threat to efforts to build a formidable political alternative capable of challenging the APC in the next presidential election.

In a political assessment, the former APC chieftain argued that the opposition’s inability to present a united front in 2023, despite widespread public dissatisfaction, ultimately worked in favour of the ruling party.

According to him, opposition parties must place national interest above individual aspirations by building a broad-based coalition anchored on internal democracy and collective leadership.

Lukman cited the 2023 presidential election as an example of how fragmentation among major opposition parties—including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP)—split votes across several regions, allowing the APC to emerge victorious.

“If opposition leaders continue on their current path of treating political parties as personal vehicles for individual presidential ambitions, the outcome of 2027 will be no different from 2023,” Lukman said.

He stressed that successful elections are won through strategic alliances, institutional structures and grassroots mobilisation rather than individual political calculations.

Lukman identified what he described as three major challenges confronting the opposition: excessive focus on personal ambition, weak party institutions and a reactive approach to political organisation.

According to him, many opposition parties have become platforms for electoral contests rather than enduring political institutions capable of formulating policies, resolving internal disputes and sustaining public engagement between election cycles.

To address these shortcomings, he proposed the adoption of a collegiate leadership model in which key opposition figures would jointly oversee party affairs and participate in decision-making instead of concentrating authority in a single individual.

He also called for stronger internal party mechanisms to regulate conduct, promote transparency and ensure that consensus decisions are respected by all stakeholders.

Lukman further urged opposition leaders to move beyond public statements and begin structured negotiations aimed at building a united political platform capable of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative ahead of the 2027 general election.

He maintained that only a cohesive, policy-driven coalition with effective grassroots mobilisation would stand a realistic chance of challenging the ruling APC in the next electoral cycle.