2027: Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, others’ alliance ‘ll amount to futility – Renewed Hope leaders

… We will campaign with facts – SGF 

Some political leaders rallying support for the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the platform of The Renewed Hope Project 2027 have dismissed the planned alliance among opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Donald Duke and other political actors, describing the move as no threat to the ruling party.

This is coming as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, described the Renewed Hope movement as a necessary initiative required to galvanise votes for President Tinubu at the poll.

Akume who is the Grand Patron of the group was represented by his Senior Special Assistant, Technical, Prof. Babatunde Bernard. 

The SGF said the Renewed Hope movement would continue to present what he described as verifiable facts about the administration’s performance as it mobilises support for the 2027 elections.

He argued that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was addressing structural challenges in the country from their roots, unlike previous governments that, according to him, failed to tackle some of the fundamental problems confronting Nigeria.

Bernard cited the local government autonomy initiative and digital reforms as examples of measures that could strengthen governance and improve service delivery.

He said the administration had given Nigerians renewed hope, adding that meaningful national development often required difficult decisions and sacrifices even as he pointed to the growing interest of foreign investors in Nigeria as evidence that the country was gradually becoming more attractive for foreign direct investment.

A group of 100 eminent Nigerians, known as G100 has said it would bring all the major opposition presidential candidates together with hope of producing one candidate against President Tinubu in 2027. 

Responding to the development, the Renewed Hope Project 2027’s Chairman, Board of Trustees, retired Major General Abdulmalik Jibril, said the proposed opposition coalition would amount to an “exercise in futility,” insisting that the performance of the Tinubu administration, rather than political calculations, would determine the outcome of the 2027 presidential election.

Jibril spoke on Monday in Abuja during the inauguration and official unveiling of The Renewed Hope Project 2027, held under the theme, “A New Beginning, A Shared Vision, With Greater Nigeria.”

The event brought together party leaders across the country, political appointees, National Assembly members, representatives of serving Governors and grassroot coordinators and mobilisers across the country. 

Reacting to moves by opposition leaders to forge a common front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Jibril said the combination of opposition politicians would not unsettle Tinubu’s re-election prospects.

“All put together is an exercise in futility. We have seen them before; they have done nothing and they are not going to do anything again. So, we are not perturbed at all. We don’t care about what they do,” he said.

According to him, the 2027 election should not be reduced to political rhetoric, arguing that Nigerians would ultimately assess the administration based on its record and the impact of its policies on their lives.

The Kano born politician challenged the opposition to identify an administration that had delivered achievements comparable to those of the Tinubu government.

“If anybody has done anything similar or above what we have done in this administration, let him come forward with it. It is not an issue of argument or just talk. It is a question of what people can see on the ground,” he said.

The retired military officer also rejected comparisons between the present political environment and the circumstances that produced the APC’s historic victory over the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2015.

He argued that the 2015 election was influenced by widespread perceptions about the performance of the government at the time, stressing that the same circumstances could not automatically be applied to the Tinubu administration.

“Of course, people have the right to talk about rhetoric, but talking about reality and what is on the ground, we can’t compare what happened in 2015 and now,” Jibril said.

Jibril further dismissed claims that dissatisfaction in the North could undermine Tinubu’s chances in 2027, describing such claims as opinions and rumours that did not reflect what was happening on the ground.

He said several policies of the administration had directly benefited Nigerians in the northern region, particularly in education, infrastructure, technology transfer and skills acquisition.

He cited the student loan scheme as one of the initiatives capable of transforming access to higher education for young Nigerians from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“The poorest people in this country, with due respect, you can say maybe due to our large population, come from the northern part of the country. Who are the direct beneficiaries of the loan scheme? Those who cannot afford their children to go to school,” he said.

The Renewed Hope Project 2027 chairman also highlighted technology-transfer initiatives and skills-acquisition centres established under the administration, arguing that such programmes offered opportunities to young Nigerians across the country.

He maintained that the North had “a lot to thank this government for,” adding that the group was prepared to take the administration’s message directly to communities ahead of the 2027 election.

“We are ready and willing to take it to the grassroots and advertise our government, sell them because of what they have achieved,” he said.

Jibril reeled out what he described as key achievements of the Tinubu administration, including improved funding and equipment for security agencies, efforts to tackle banditry and kidnapping, and the Safe School Initiative.

He also listed the 3MTT digital skills programme, Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative, student loans, the ₦75 billion SME intervention fund, recruitment into security agencies, the National Apprenticeship and Technical Education Programme (NATEP), social investment programmes and youth grants.

According to him, the removal of fuel subsidy and exchange-rate reforms had strengthened government revenue, while infrastructure projects, including roads and bridges, were creating opportunities for economic expansion.

The campaigners said the programmes formed part of the record they intended to present to Nigerians as they intensify their mobilisation for the 2027 election.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Renewed Hope Project 2027, Malam Dauda Salihu, said the organisation would take the administration’s message of achievements to Nigerians at the grassroots.

Salihu said the project would focus on communicating the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration directly to voters, while encouraging citizens to assess the government on the basis of its record.

He said the campaign would extend beyond political rhetoric, with the organisation seeking to engage communities and explain what it described as the practical impact of the administration’s programmes on citizens.

The Renewed Hope Project 2027 said it was prepared to counter the opposition narrative as political consultations intensify among opposition leaders ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The group’s position comes amid growing efforts by opposition politicians to build a broad political coalition capable of challenging the APC at the polls.

With both the ruling party and opposition forces already positioning themselves for the 2027 contest, the battle for public support is expected to increasingly centre on competing narratives over governance, economic reforms, security, social programmes and the overall performance of the Tinubu administration.