Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has declared that the growing support for President Bola Tinubu by opposition governors is driven by political survival and electoral calculations, not ideological alignment, warning that the 2027 political realignment is already reshaping Nigeria's political landscape. Speaking on a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, Sani named Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun, Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra, and Governor Alex Otti of Abia as opposition leaders who have recalibrated their stance towards the President after weighing their options.
According to Sani, the three governors concluded that identifying with Tinubu is safer because there is currently "no credible and viable alternative" within the opposition. "If you are a politician, you look at both sides of what will be better for your present and also for your future. And strategically, what will also be easier for your people," Sani said. "These opposition governors, like Otti of Labour, Soludo of APGA, and Adeleke of Accord, they have weighed the two options, and they have seen that they are safer and better identifying with Asiwaju."
Breaking down the calculus behind each governor's decision, Sani argued that Soludo cannot align with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar because Atiku has no support base in Anambra, and aligning fully with Peter Obi would "cage" him to the South-East. "Soludo cannot identify with Atiku, because Atiku has no support in his state, and he also cannot identify with Peter Obi, because he knew the limitations of Peter Obi is only within South-East, and he does not want to cage himself to that," Sani said.
On Otti, Sani said the Abia governor is seeking to position his state within the broader national political structure rather than being confined to the South-East. "What is the ranking of Peter in North-West, North-Central, North-East, South-South, and South-Western part of Nigeria? So, he is taking Abia to the mainstream," Sani stated.
On Adeleke, Sani noted that despite winning the Osun governorship election with over 511,000 votes on the Accord platform, the governor understands that presidential voting patterns in the state could be different. "He has won his election, and Tinubu has stopped any form of interference to tamper with that," Sani said, citing President Tinubu's intervention in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission's freezing of Osun's state account. The former senator described the relationship between Adeleke and Tinubu as transactional, declaring: "Adeleke needs Tinubu. Tinubu needs Adeleke." He maintained that Adeleke could not afford to adopt a confrontational posture towards the President because political battles often require strategic calculations by elected officials. "People who wanted Adeleke to be confrontational against the President, he is a politician, and he knew that very well, that despite that he has won elections, that he still has battle to fight," Sani said.
Sani's remarks come just days after Adeleke publicly thanked President Tinubu for ensuring a fair electoral process and reaffirmed his backing for Tinubu's re-election bid in 2027. The governor's endorsement drew criticism from opposition figures, but Sani defended the move, arguing that Adeleke's appreciation was understandable if the President played a role in protecting his electoral mandate. "If the President had not been helpful in securing his mandate and preventing any attempt to tamper with it, the Governor wouldn't have been so appreciative," Sani said. He also noted that electoral victory involves more than securing votes at polling units, stressing that the subsequent collation and declaration stages are equally crucial. "Electoral victory is a product of two components; winning the votes and securing the collation and victory of the vote," he said.
Sani warned that the 2027 calculations are already reshaping Nigeria's political landscape, with opposition governors prioritising their political survival and the interests of their states over ideological loyalty. "You must secure your seat first. You must secure your state first before you think of the next thing to do," he said. As the 2027 general elections approach, the former senator's analysis underscores the fluid nature of political alliances in Nigeria, where the lines between opposition and ruling party are increasingly blurred by strategic considerations and the pursuit of political survival.
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