Hardship: Ulasi says opposition failing to win voters’ support

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dan Ulasi, has said opposition parties are failing to turn Nigerians’ concerns over the rising cost of living into political support, despite public frustration over food prices and the cost of petrol.

Ulasi also predicted that National Democratic Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, could defeat President Bola Tinubu in Lagos in the 2027 general election.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Ulasi said the opposition had not effectively made its case to Nigerians or presented clear alternatives to the policies of the All Progressives Congress, APC-led government.

“There are a lot of things to exploit, but whether they’re effectively doing it is another question,” he said.

Asked whether opposition parties were making the most of public dissatisfaction, Ulasi replied: “I don’t think they’re effectively doing it. I’m going to be honest to myself.”

He said opposition candidates and party leaders should be holding town hall meetings across the country to explain their plans and engage voters.

“You would at this point be seeing town hall meetings from zone to zone. I don’t see it happening. Nigerians are waiting for such information to feed us, and they’re not doing it.”

Ulasi said the opposition was more divided than it had been ahead of the 2023 election, making it harder to challenge an incumbent president with access to state resources.

“As things are on the ground, it will take some magic for anybody to stop Tinubu. The opposition is still fragmented now, worse than it was in 2023.”

The PDP chieftain, who said he supports Obi, argued that the former Anambra State governor could make strong gains in several parts of the country, including Lagos, where Tinubu served as governor before becoming president.

“This time around, he will beat Tinubu in Lagos State,” Ulasi said.

He argued that voters in the state were questioning what they had gained from having a former Lagos governor as president.

“The Lagos people, whether Yoruba or not, cannot tell you exactly that this is our son who has been president and what they have profited from it,” he said.

Ulasi challenged Tinubu to hold town hall meetings across the country and explain his administration’s record to voters.

“I want him to have a town hall meeting, zone to zone, telling every zone in this country what his government has done,” he said.

He said Nigerians would have to protect their votes, while stressing that a fair election would be necessary for voters’ preferences to determine the outcome.

“If there is a free and fair vote in this country, Peter Obi will make less than 50 per cent of votes in most states in the North,” he said.

Ulasi added that the opposition’s prospects would depend not only on public dissatisfaction with the government, but also on whether its parties could organise effectively and offer voters a credible alternative.