Buhari’s death has marked a turning point for APC ahead of 2027 elections.
NewsOnline Nigeria had earlier reported that the burial of Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, took place on Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, drawing a host of dignitaries and political figures from across the country and abroad.
The solemn ceremony closed a significant chapter in Nigeria’s political history — one defined by Buhari’s enduring influence both as a military ruler and two-term democratically elected president under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
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But beyond the tributes and state ceremonies, the former president’s death has triggered a wave of political recalibration. With the 2027 general elections looming, stakeholders within and outside the ruling APC are reassessing strategies, especially as the party faces the future without the man many regarded as its northern anchor.
Buhari, who contested five presidential elections between 2003 and 2019, maintained a strong support base in the North, often polling around 12 million votes per election. His political clout helped solidify the APC’s foundation during its formative years, particularly in the 2015 and 2019 elections.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that Buhari’s death has left a vacuum the APC must now contend with. His absence comes at a time when opposition forces, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-governors Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s Peter Obi, have coalesced under the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The opposition bloc has openly declared its intention to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Speaking during Channels TV’s live broadcast of the burial, APC chieftain and Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Transportation, Daura, Wahab Owokoniran, acknowledged the loss but expressed confidence in Tinubu’s political acumen.
“There’s no doubt this is going to be a big loss. One thing I can assure you is that Tinubu is a master strategist,” he said. “He’s been building bridges across the country for nearly four decades. While we may lose some support, we will gain some too. It will balance out. I don’t see APC losing the next election.”
Owokoniran admitted that Buhari’s shoes are difficult to fill, but pointed out that Nigerian politics has always produced new rallying figures. “When Yar’adua died, people asked who would take over in the North. Buhari emerged. Someone else will emerge again.”
However, for some political observers, the emergence of a new power center in the ADC signals deeper concerns for the APC’s cohesion. Salihu Lukman, a former APC stalwart and now a key figure in the opposition coalition, believes Buhari’s departure should be a wake-up call for politicians, especially in the North.
“Buhari’s popularity enabled many politicians to win without truly engaging citizens,” Lukman said on Channels TV’s Politics Today. “Now that he’s gone, politicians must connect with the people more sincerely. You can’t win elections anymore just by being in someone’s good books, you need the people.”
He also noted that Buhari’s stature had been instrumental in merging various political interests to form the APC in 2013/2014. “Without Buhari, that merger would have struggled. His presence unified diverse political blocs. Moving forward, any new coalition must avoid sacrificing the party structure for short-term victories,” Lukman warned.
Meanwhile, Nduka Odo, a political analyst and Communication Studies scholar at Peaceland University, believes that the realignment of top political actors like Atiku, Amaechi, and El-Rufai into the ADC could signal a looming crisis for the APC.
According to Odo, Buhari’s death has amplified internal divisions that were already present within the ruling party. “The crack started when Osinbajo entered the 2023 presidential race, seemingly against Buhari’s earlier understanding with Tinubu. That move shook the foundation of trust within the APC. The party never fully recovered,” he said in an interview with DAILY POST.
He argued that Buhari’s CPC bloc and the New PDP faction, which were vital to forming the APC, have largely abandoned the party, leaving Tinubu with what remains of his original ACN team. “Today, El-Rufai, Atiku, and Amaechi are all in the ADC. That means something,” Odo said.
While some APC loyalists believe Buhari’s legacy will continue to inspire loyalty among northern voters, Odo insists that this could be wishful thinking. “The poverty under Buhari’s government alienated many of his supporters. And Tinubu’s administration, rightly or wrongly, is seen as an extension — or even a deepening — of that hardship.”
He added that the party may find it difficult to maintain its traditional stronghold in the North, especially with growing dissatisfaction and internal party wrangling. “There’s already talk of Tinubu dropping Shettima in 2027. That’s another layer of division. Shettima is from the CPC wing — Buhari’s base. If that wing feels excluded, it could destabilize APC’s northern strategy.”
On the legacy of Buhari’s electoral strength, Odo disagreed with the idea that he had a guaranteed 12 million votes. “Those votes didn’t come from thin air. It was a result of strategic alliances. And it’s in bad taste that Onanuga chose the day of Buhari’s burial to share a video reminding Nigerians that Tinubu made Buhari president. That shows the cracks are real.”
As Buhari is laid to rest, what remains to be seen is whether the APC can weather the storm of internal discontent and opposition realignment. The countdown to 2027 has begun — and the political field is shifting.
