Adewale Giwa, the Senior Pastor of The Second Coming of Christ Ministry, has stated that the only way to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections is through a joint ticket of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition. He emphasized that the coalition’s chances would diminish if Obi does not agree to step aside for Atiku as the presidential nominee. In an interview with DAILY POST, Pastor Giwa mentioned that Obi could attract substantial votes from the North, similar to Atiku. He explained, “The coalition would stand a better chance if Atiku and Obi unite; only their ticket can challenge the ruling party. If Obi is selected as the coalition’s presidential candidate, victory seems unlikely. The only combination capable of defeating Tinubu is Atiku and Obi together, as Tinubu lacks support from both Northern and Southern voters, relying primarily on his base from the Southeast.” Pastor Giwa revealed that if Atiku becomes president, he is likely to transfer power to someone from the Southeast. He stated, “If Atiku is the next president, he is more trustworthy to hand over power to the Southeast,” but emphasized that a candidate from that region wouldn’t be allowed to win the presidency at this time. He mentioned that anyone from the Southeast running against the ruling party will be blocked from victory, regardless of their popularity. Pastor Giwa suggested that Obi should consider backing Atiku, noting, “If Obi calms down and supports Atiku, they would have a good chance. He might contemplate stepping aside given his experience in the last election where he gauged his popularity. Obi would likely agree to this since if he refused to step down, he wouldn’t have joined the coalition in the first place.” He understands that Atiku has greater popularity and political power than he does, so he may be open to stepping aside, which would create a strong ticket for Nigeria.
