By Stella Odueme
The Democratic Front (TDF) has declared the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) the only political party with a strong nationwide grassroots presence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The group said the opposition parties, despite their claims of growing popularity and political influence, lacked the organisational strength and grassroots structures required to challenge the ruling party.
In a statement jointly signed by its Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Wale Adedayo, TDF said its assessment of the political landscape showed that the APC enjoyed a significant advantage over its rivals.
It attributed the ruling party's advantage to the support of its members occupying political offices, its grassroots mobilisation capacity and what it described as the opposition's persistent internal crises and legal battles.
The group also cited the large turnout at the recent flag-off of the APC presidential campaign in Kaduna as evidence of the party's dominance and growing political influence.
According to TDF, opposition parties have largely relied on social media to sustain their political visibility rather than building effective structures at the grassroots.
It aligned this position with the observation by the Convener of the Northern League of Democrats, Dr Umar Ardo, that the political campaign ahead of the 2027 elections was becoming one-sided in favour of the APC.
The group blamed the perceived weakness of the opposition on the failure of key opposition figures, particularly former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, to focus on developing alternative policy proposals and engaging Nigerians on governance issues.
TDF further criticised the two opposition leaders over their recent positions on fuel subsidy removal, accusing them of abandoning their earlier commitments to the policy in an attempt to attract voters.
It argued that their reversal had undermined their credibility, portraying them as politicians willing to sacrifice national interests for electoral gains.
The statement added that the APC's political activities, economic reform efforts and infrastructure projects had positioned it favourably in the contest for the 2027 presidential election.
TDF expressed confidence that the ruling party could secure an easy victory in the January 2027 presidential election if the current political trend continued.