2027 elections intensified on Sunday, 6 September 2026, with fresh claims of mass defections and sharp exchanges between ruling and opposition figures.
Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo stated that allies of Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate Rabiu Kwankwaso are leaving “in droves” to join the All Progressives Congress.
At the same time, a lone Kano NDC senator and a former governor formally crossed to the APC, continuing a pattern that has left 31 of 36 state governors in the ruling party.
Labour Party former running mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed declared that none of the current challengers, including Peter Obi, can change Nigeria.
Diaspora groups accused Atiku Abubakar of running a Washington lobbying campaign against President Bola Tinubu, while an Osun APC chieftain dismissed drug-saga claims as blackmail and urged the opposition to present a manifesto instead.
The APC has already renominated Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, while opposition efforts to form a single-candidate coalition remain fragmented after earlier unity talks collapsed.
With the political camps already positioning themselves ahead of 2027, the latest defections add another layer to an opposition field still struggling to settle on a unified direction. For now, the contest remains heavily shaped by the incumbent’s organisational advantage and the opposition’s unresolved leadership question.
