BREAKING: Buhari Endorsed Tinubu For President, But Tinubu Lost In Katsina, Kaduna, And Kano — Dahiru

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Political analyst and public affairs commentator, Majeed Dahiru, has questioned the assumed electoral value of political endorsements in Nigeria, arguing that support from influential politicians does not automatically translate into votes during elections.

Dahiru made the remarks during an interview on Nigeria Info FM on Monday, May 11, 2026, while reacting to discussions surrounding possible political alliances ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The conversation focused particularly on growing speculation that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi could eventually align politically in an effort to strengthen opposition chances against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

While discussing the possible impact of such an alliance, Dahiru cautioned against assuming that supporters of one political figure would automatically transfer their loyalty to another candidate simply because of an endorsement.

According to him, political support in Nigeria is often more complex and driven by individual voter preferences rather than elite political agreements.

According to his words, “If Obi is going to run under Atiku’s endorsement, there’s no guarantee that those who would have voted for Atiku will vote for Obi. There’s no guarantee.”

He further referenced the outcome of the 2023 presidential election to support his argument, noting that endorsements by powerful political figures do not always determine voting outcomes, even within the same political party.

“It happened in the APC in the 2023 election. Buhari, for instance, endorsed Tinubu as the party candidate of his own APC, right? But Tinubu lost in Katsina, Tinubu lost in Kaduna, and Tinubu lost in Kano,” Dahiru stated.

According to him, the results from those states demonstrated that many supporters of former President Muhammadu Buhari did not necessarily accept Bola Tinubu as their preferred candidate despite Buhari’s public endorsement.

“These are Buhari’s strongest roles, meaning Buhari supporters didn’t buy the idea that Tinubu should be president,” he added.

Dahiru’s comments come amid increasing political conversations surrounding coalition-building and opposition strategies ahead of the 2027 elections. Several political observers have speculated about possible alliances among major opposition figures as parties attempt to strengthen their chances against the ruling APC.

Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar were among the leading opposition candidates during the 2023 presidential election, and discussions about potential collaboration between both camps have continued to generate public debate.

However, Dahiru argued that political endorsements should not be overestimated, stressing that Nigerian voters have increasingly shown willingness to make independent electoral decisions regardless of elite political alignments.