APC heavyweight Hon. Gabriel Bravo Oluohu said on Saturday in Abuja that opposition parties stand virtually no chance of unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress in Cross River State ahead of the 2027 general elections, predicting President Bola Tinubu will clinch the state before 1 pm on election day.
He highlighted three core points: first, his own background as former Supervisory Councillor for Finance, Budget and Investment at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC); second, his view that the popularity of Nigerian Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has sharply declined in the state, with several former supporters, including legislators, now aligned with the APC; third, his colourful analogy that any opposition victory would be "as difficult as using a wooden ladder to climb to heaven."
"Before, it was Peter Obi's wave, but now action speaks louder than words," Oluohu told journalists, dismissing the opposition’s recent activities as mere publicity stunts rather than evidence of genuine political clout.
What is the APC’s assessment of the opposition’s strength?
Oluohu argued that opposition parties lack any substantive foothold in Cross River. He described their attempts to rally support as akin to butterflies mistakenly believing they are birds – attractive but fundamentally incapable of sustained flight. He added that they "have no position to win; they are just deceiving themselves."
Does a coalition of opposition parties exist?
The APC chieftain questioned reports of a forthcoming opposition coalition, suggesting the term is being used solely to attract attention ahead of potential 2027 appointments. "Some of them are just seeking unnecessary attention with the word coalition to deceive the gullible few, a coalition that does not actually exist in the state," he asserted.
How does past performance factor into his argument?
Oluohu recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) once held three senators, two former governors and five House of Representatives members from Cross River. Despite that advantage, the PDP failed to win the governorship or secure major seats in the Southern and Central Senatorial Districts. He asked rhetorically, "Is it now that they don't have any sitting senator, no former governor, or reasonable position?"
He reinforced his point with a river analogy: "A river that cannot flow in the rainy season cannot flow in the dry season, so they cannot get anything."
What is his view on the PDP’s governorship ticket?
Oluohu dismissed the PDP’s candidate as an unserious politician who relies on false alarms and lacks the organisational structure needed to win. He claimed the candidate would struggle even to obtain a local government chairmanship. He also criticised the PDP’s deputy governorship candidate, likening him to a hunter returning home with a goat – implying the goat was stolen and the hunter’s claim was dubious.
Overall, Oluohu’s remarks paint a picture of an APC that believes it has entrenched its dominance in Cross River, leaving opposition parties with negligible prospects as the 2027 elections approach.