RismadarVoice Reporters
September 20, 2026
The political camps of President Bola Tinubu, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State governor Peter Obi are intensifying efforts to expand their support bases ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
Party officials and political allies of the three candidates say their strategies are focused on retaining areas where they performed strongly in 2023 while making inroads into states previously won by their rivals.
Official results from the 2023 presidential election show that Tinubu received 8,794,726 votes, Atiku polled 6,984,520, while Obi secured 6,101,533 votes.
Tinubu won 12 states in that election; Atiku also carried 12, while Obi won 11 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
APC TARGETS EXPANSION
An APC official said the party was targeting victory in at least 20 states, arguing that its political structure had expanded since the 2023 election.
The party is particularly looking to strengthen its position in states where it previously struggled, while retaining Tinubu’s established support bases.
North-Central APC Forum Chairman Saleh Zazzaga also expressed confidence that the party could improve its performance in states including Plateau and Nasarawa.
The projections, however, represent claims and campaign targets by APC figures rather than independent forecasts of the election outcome.
ATIKU CAMP CLAIMS STRONGER STRUCTURE
Atiku’s allies are similarly projecting an expanded electoral map.
Former ADC national chairman Ralph Nwosu claimed that internal polling showed Atiku performing strongly nationwide and securing the constitutionally significant 25 per cent threshold in at least 28 states.
Nwosu also claimed that Atiku’s political structure had strengthened significantly since 2023.
Atiku’s political allies presented the polling figures cited by Nwosu, and no methodology, sample size or other information necessary to independently assess the poll was provided in the account.
OBI CAMP BANKS ON NEW ALLIANCES
Obi’s camp is also seeking to expand beyond the states he carried in 2023.
National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Yinusa Tanko said the political environment had changed and argued that Obi now had stronger structures and alliances than during the previous presidential contest.
Tanko pointed particularly to the involvement of former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, saying his presence could strengthen the movement’s position in parts of northern Nigeria.
He also said Obi’s supporters would seek to retain Lagos, which Obi won in the 2023 presidential election, while targeting additional states.
The claims from all three camps reflect their respective political strategies and expectations. They do not establish how voters will ultimately vote in 2027, with the contest to be decided through the electoral process.
