An Analytical Review of Opposition Strategy, Youth, Women and Tinubu’s Record of Recovery
As a member of the APC, I have been watching the opposition closely ahead of the 2027 elections. The pattern is revealing. Peter Obi’s political journey has taken him from APGA to PDP, then to the Labour Party, later to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and now the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC). Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has also moved through several political platforms, from the Action Congress to PDP, later APC, back to PDP and now ADC. Politicians have the constitutional right to change parties, but Nigerians are equally entitled to ask what repeated movement means for political ideology, institutional loyalty and policy consistency.
The opposition is clearly building coalitions and targeting strategically important states and voting blocs kano, Lagos, Fct, Southern states. But the 2027 contest will not be decided by social media noise alone. Our youths and women will be particularly important. Nigeria has a large and increasingly politically conscious youth population, while women constitute a critical component of the electorate and grassroots mobilisation. Their concerns about employment, education, security, transportation, food prices and household welfare will influence how they vote. APC must therefore engage young Nigerians and women beyond campaign season, listen to their concerns and communicate the practical impact of government policies in language they understand.
This is where APC’s structure remains a major advantage. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was not handed the APC as a ready-made political institution. He was one of the key figures in the political evolution from the Alliance for Democracy to the ACN and ultimately the APC. He stayed through victories, defeats and difficult negotiations. Political institutions are built through consistency, organisation and sacrifice. Coalitions built mainly around removing an incumbent may create excitement, but they must still answer fundamental questions about ideology, economic policy, governance and how competing interests will remain united after an election.
On the economy, we must be honest about both the pain and the progress. but there are also measurable signs of macroeconomic stabilisation. Nigeria’s real GDP grew by 3.89 percent year-on-year in Q1 2026, compared with 3.13 percent in Q1 2025. The foreign-exchange reforms have improved transparency and price discovery, while domestic refining capacity has expanded significantly. The CNG programme is also being used to reduce transportation costs. Macroeconomics concerns the wider economy—growth, inflation, exchange rates, employment and national output—while microeconomics focuses more on households, consumers and individual businesses. For the purpose of assessing the Tinubu administration’s overall economic direction, the macroeconomic indicators are therefore particularly relevant.
The administration must, however, ensure that these reforms translate into real improvements in people’s daily lives. President Tinubu’s recent engagement with state governors focused on transportation costs, food security and agriculture, including the expansion of CNG and electric transportation solutions. For our youths, employment, skills, entrepreneurship and access to education must remain central priorities. For women, especially those driving household economies and small businesses, food prices, transportation, security and access to economic opportunities matter directly. APC’s political communication must therefore move beyond statistics and explain how government policies are affecting—and should continue to improve—the everyday lives of Nigerians.
2027 will be more than a contest between political personalities. It will be a contest between records, structures, organisation and competing visions for Nigeria. The opposition may think they have influential personalities and strong online propaganda voices, but elections are not won by headlines alone. They require grassroots organisation, credibility, message discipline and the capacity to govern. APC must strengthen its structure from the ward to the polling unit, remain united, engage our youths and women meaningfully, and communicate its record with facts rather than propaganda. If we organise, deliver and remain focused, we will give Nigerians a compelling reason to choose continuity in 2027. Nigeria deserves stability, progress and a government capable of finishing the work of rebuilding the nation.
*Hon. Benjamin Adebola Osundairo (BAO)*
*LGA Exco*
*Coordinator, Ikeja*
*Senator Idayat Adebule*
*August 2026*