2026: APC Dismisses Obasanjo, Kwankwaso, Duke’s Meeting, Says Tinubu Is Politically Unmatched
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has downplayed the significance of a recent closed-door meeting between former President Olusegun Obasanjo, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) leader Rabiu Kwankwaso, and ex-Cross River State Governor Donald Duke, describing the gathering as inconsequential to President Bola Tinubu’s political standing.
Over the weekend, Obasanjo hosted Kwankwaso and Duke in Abeokuta to discuss Nigeria’s political future. While the details of the meeting remain undisclosed, sources suggest the discussions centered on strategies for the 2027 general elections.
Speaking to The Punch on Sunday, APC National Publicity Director Bala Ibrahim dismissed the meeting as a gathering of “spent forces,” asserting that President Tinubu’s influence in contemporary Nigerian politics far surpasses that of the attendees.
“With due respect, I hold Obasanjo in high esteem as a former President and elder statesman. However, in modern Nigerian politics, Tinubu is not their mate. He stands head and shoulders above them,” Ibrahim stated.
He added, “The combination of Obasanjo, Kwankwaso, Donald Duke, and even Peter Obi poses no threat to Tinubu. These are individuals who were decisively defeated in the last election. Obasanjo has repeatedly backed candidates, including Peter Obi and Goodluck Jonathan, who ultimately lost.”
Ibrahim further asserted that the APC remains unshaken by such meetings, claiming they would not yield any meaningful outcome. “They can meet endlessly, but they will not present any threat to APC or its government. If they are relying on these same faces, their efforts are futile,” he said.
The APC’s remarks underscore the party’s confidence in Tinubu’s leadership and its dismissal of opposition figures as politically irrelevant in the current landscape. As preparations for the 2027 elections intensify, the ruling party appears determined to maintain its dominance despite efforts by the opposition to strategize for a comeback.
