President Bola Tinubu appears to be widening his political calculations ahead of the 2027 presidential election by cultivating alliances beyond the formal structure of the All Progressives Congress (APC), according to Arise News Director of News and Politics Editor, Sumner Sambo.
Sambo said Tinubu’s relationship with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, should be viewed within the broader strategy of building a political network capable of delivering support for the President beyond the traditional APC machinery.
Speaking on the emerging political realignments ahead of the 2027 election, Sambo argued that there was nothing unusual about a sitting president seeking support from politicians outside his party.
He cited the administration of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua as a historical example, recalling that Yar’Adua’s government accommodated politicians from opposition parties through a Government of National Unity arrangement.
According to Sambo, the arrangement saw the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) produce a minister, while the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) produced two ministers and three special advisers.
For Sambo, the current political environment suggests that Tinubu may be pursuing a similar broad-based strategy, although within a different political context.
He said the President’s engagement with Wike could therefore be interpreted as part of a deliberate attempt to assemble political forces capable of supporting his 2027 ambition, irrespective of party boundaries.
The development comes as political alignments continue to shift across the country, with Wike maintaining his support for Tinubu’s presidential bid while also operating a political network that has generated tensions with some APC governors.
Sambo’s assessment is that Tinubu may be recalibrating his approach to the 2027 contest rather than relying exclusively on the established structures of the ruling party.
He suggested that the President’s strategy could be influenced by questions surrounding the ability of APC governors to independently deliver the level of political support required across the country.
The analyst’s comments come against the backdrop of growing disagreement between Wike and some APC governors over the former Rivers governor’s political activities.
Recent reports indicate that APC governors have expressed concerns about Wike’s political coalition, while Wike has maintained that his support for Tinubu is specifically connected to the presidential election and should not automatically translate into support for APC candidates in other contests.
Sambo has previously argued that the political calculations surrounding Wike could have implications for the 2027 election, particularly because voters may make different choices for presidential, governorship and legislative contests.
He also noted that the emergence of opposition figures and competing political alliances could make the electoral landscape more complicated than a straightforward contest between established party structures.
The unfolding scenario has placed greater attention on the relationship between Tinubu, Wike and the APC governors, especially as political actors begin positioning themselves for the 2027 polls.
For Sambo, the President’s apparent willingness to engage politicians outside the APC suggests that his political strategy is being expanded beyond the conventional party framework.
Rather than depending solely on the structures available within the ruling party, the approach could involve assembling a wider network of political interests, influential individuals and regional structures.
The strategy, as described by Sambo, reflects the fluid nature of Nigerian politics, where alliances can cut across party lines in pursuit of specific electoral objectives.
However, the growing differences between Wike and sections of the APC leadership also present a political challenge for the President.
Sambo recently urged Tinubu to intervene in the dispute between Wike and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodinma, saying the disagreement was beginning to look increasingly personal and could complicate the broader political arrangement ahead of 2027.
With the 2027 election approaching, the central question is increasingly how far Tinubu’s political structure will extend beyond the APC and how those external alliances will coexist with the interests of the party’s governors and other stakeholders.
Sambo’s analysis suggests that the President is already adjusting his political calculations, with alliances such as his engagement with Wike forming part of a wider effort to assemble support for the 2027 presidential contest.
The emerging political landscape therefore points to an election season in which party platforms may remain important, but personal alliances, regional networks and cross-party arrangements could also play a significant role.
Source:@ARISEtv
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