The All Progressives Congress will not stampede the 2027 presidential election, an APC official said on Thursday, pushing back against concerns that Nigeria is drifting toward one-party rule.
The assurance came as the ruling party consolidates control across most of the country after winning the 2023 election. The opposition has grown weaker, with the People's Democratic Party losing ground in several states and smaller parties struggling to mount credible challenges.
The party official did not name concerns about electoral integrity or specific worries from opposition parties, but the statement appears aimed at international observers and Nigerians worried about the health of democracy. A one-party state would mean the opposition has no meaningful chance of winning elections, fundamentally changing how power transfers in Nigeria.
The APC has governed since 2015, first under President Muhammadu Buhari and now under President Bola Tinubu, who won in 2023 with 36.61 per cent of the vote. The PDP's candidate, Atiku Abubakar, came second with 29.36 per cent. Since then, the APC has continued to pull politicians and governors from other parties, further consolidating its control.
The official's statement amounts to a promise that the party will not use its dominance to rig the 2027 election or prevent voters from choosing freely. It does not address whether the electoral environment itself is level, or whether opposition parties have the resources and security to campaign effectively.
Election monitoring groups and opposition figures have raised questions about the conduct of the 2023 election, including concerns about voter suppression, problems with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, and violence in some polling units. The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it will learn from 2023 to improve the 2027 process.
The APC's 2027 campaign is expected to centre on the Tinubu administration's economic reforms, though these have caused hardship for millions of Nigerians through inflation and fuel price increases. The opposition is still deciding on its candidates and strategy for 2027.
