Why 2027 Election Will Be Easier For Peter Obi Than 2023 — Aisha Yesufu

A member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Aisha Yesufu, has expressed strong confidence that the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will face a significantly easier path to victory in the 2027 general elections compared to his 2023 campaign.

Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential poll under the Labour Party platform, finished third after securing 6.1 million votes, behind Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party with 6.9 million votes, and President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, who won with 8.7 million votes.

Speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Thursday, September 10, 2026, Yesufu stated that the foundational grassroots mobilization executed by the Obidient movement during the previous election cycle has firmly established Obi’s political footprint nationwide.

She noted that while the 2023 effort required convincing skeptical voters of the feasibility of a third-force presidency, the political landscape has now shifted dramatically in favor of the opposition movement.

Recalling the early momentum of the movement, Yesufu said, “2027 is even easier than 2023. 2023 you know you had to put in all that work, ‘let start it and see.’ By the time we had the former governor of Edo State, he really helped us without knowing he helped us by refusing to allow us to have all those halls and everything and Edo people coming out to say, ‘hey we are doing this.’”

She added, “That was when we had that shift when people saw that this is possible, a new Nigeria is possible. But right now, everybody has seen it, Mr Peter Obi all over the country.”

Pointing to recent strategic political realignments, the activist highlighted the alliance between Obi’s support base and the Kwankwasiyya movement led by former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, as a decisive factor that will bolster the NDC’s electoral prospects.

Emphasizing the value of the partnership, she stated, “We have this alliance that has come between the Obidients and the Kwankwasiyya and you are seeing Mr Peter Obi’s running mate Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso bringing in a whole lot into the union.”

Yesufu further argued that widespread economic hardship facing households across the country will serve as a primary consideration for voters at the ballot box in 2027.

She asserted that citizens now realize religious sentiments, such as the ruling party’s Muslim-Muslim ticket, cannot alleviate economic difficulties, adding that voters are increasingly prioritizing candidate competence, character, and practical solutions over identity politics.