Supporters of President Bola Tinubu's re-election bid have dismissed the planned alliance involving opposition figures Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Donald Duke, insisting that the coalition poses no serious threat to the President ahead of the 2027 election.
The position was expressed by the Renewed Hope Project 2027, whose Chairman of the Board of Trustees, retired Major General Abdulmalik Jibril, described the proposed opposition coalition as an “exercise in futility.”
Jibril spoke during the inauguration and official unveiling of the Renewed Hope Project 2027, held under the theme “A New Beginning, A Shared Vision, With Greater Nigeria.”
The campaign group argued that the 2027 presidential contest would ultimately be determined by the performance of the government rather than political alliances and calculations.
Jibril challenged opposition politicians to point to an administration that had achieved comparable results to what he described as the accomplishments of the Tinubu government.
He also rejected comparisons between the political circumstances surrounding the APC's victory over the Goodluck Jonathan administration in 2015 and the current political environment.
According to him, the 2015 election was shaped largely by public perceptions of the then government's performance, adding that the same circumstances could not automatically be applied to the Tinubu administration.
The retired general also dismissed suggestions that dissatisfaction in northern Nigeria could weaken Tinubu's chances in 2027, describing such claims as opinions that did not reflect developments on the ground.
He cited the student loan programme, education initiatives, infrastructure projects, technology-transfer schemes and skills-acquisition programmes as examples of policies that he said had benefited Nigerians in the North and other parts of the country.
Jibril said the group would take the administration's message directly to communities as part of its mobilisation campaign ahead of the 2027 election.
He listed several programmes and policies the group intends to highlight, including the 3MTT digital skills programme, Compressed Natural Gas initiative, student loans, SME intervention funds, social investment programmes and youth grants.
He also pointed to security-sector spending, recruitment, the Safe School Initiative and infrastructure projects as evidence of what the campaign group considers achievements of the administration.
On the economy, Jibril defended the government's fuel subsidy removal and foreign-exchange reforms, arguing that the measures had increased government revenue and created room for further development initiatives.
The Renewed Hope Project 2027's Director-General, Dauda Salihu, said the organisation would focus on taking the administration's policies and achievements to Nigerians at the grassroots.
Salihu said the campaign would seek to encourage voters to assess the government based on its record and the impact of its programmes rather than political rhetoric.
The campaign group's comments come as opposition leaders intensify consultations over the possibility of forming a broad coalition capable of challenging the APC in 2027.
Atiku, Obi, Duke and other political actors have been involved in discussions around possible cooperation as opposition parties explore strategies for presenting a stronger challenge to the ruling party.
The emerging political alignment has increased speculation about whether a united opposition platform could significantly reshape the 2027 presidential contest.
The Renewed Hope campaigners, however, maintain that political combinations alone will not determine the outcome of the election.
Jibril said the group was prepared to defend the Tinubu administration's record and take its message to voters across the country.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, represented at the event by Prof Babatunde Bernard, also backed the mobilisation effort and described it as necessary for galvanising support for Tinubu.
Bernard said the administration was addressing what he described as structural problems that had affected Nigeria for years, citing local government autonomy and digital reforms among its initiatives.
He also pointed to growing foreign investor interest as an indication that Nigeria could be becoming more attractive to international investors.
With the 2027 election cycle gradually taking shape, the contest is expected to increasingly centre on competing claims over economic reforms, security, governance and the impact of government policies on Nigerians.
The latest comments from the Renewed Hope campaigners therefore signal an increasingly combative political season, as the ruling camp seeks to defend Tinubu's record while opposition forces explore the possibility of presenting a united challenge.