Opposition Politicians Form New Party to Challenge Tinubu in 2027

A group of opposition politicians has come together to establish a new political party, the African Reformation Party (ARP), in anticipation of the 2027 general election.

Led by Kunle Okunola, a businessman and former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate, ARP aims to present a credible alternative to President Bola Tinubu’s government, which has faced criticism for its handling of socioeconomic challenges.

Okunola voiced his disappointment with President Tinubu’s unfulfilled campaign promises and failure to address Nigeria’s critical issues. He emphasized that ARP would focus on promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance. According to him, the existing political parties have let Nigerians down and have been compromised by federal influence.

The African Reformation Party intends to investigate previous administrations, from 1960 to the present, with the goal of recovering stolen public funds. This effort is part of the party’s commitment to transparency in governance. Additionally, the party seeks to enroll over 54 million members nationwide, allowing free expression of political interests and awarding merit-based candidacies.

“Our party will not require any nomination fees,” Okunola stated. “If we’re not asking for nomination fees, then tickets will be awarded based on merit. It’s wrong for a party registered with N1 million to demand N100 million or N10 million from candidates, making politics exclusive to the wealthy and sidelining the poor. Right now, we have criminals using money to secure political offices.”

The ARP also proposes establishing agricultural prisons for those convicted of misappropriating national resources and raising the minimum wage to N700,000.

Okunola revealed correspondence with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) dating back to 2020, seeking the party’s registration. He warned that if ARP isn’t registered by December 2024, the party plans to stage a protest by occupying INEC offices.

Discussing the party’s ideology and its formation, Okunola highlighted the significance of power rotation. “In 2019, after former President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term, we recognized the need for power to shift to the south. To address this, we created the New Reformation Unity Forum and sought a leader with the political capacity to carry out this transition. This led us to support Bola Tinubu.”

He further explained that his movement, initially aligned with the All Progressives Congress (APC), toured the country to advocate for Tinubu’s presidency, especially in the north. “By God’s grace, we succeeded in our mission of power rotation, which brought stability to the nation.”