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In his assessment of the ongoing systemic challenges faced by opposition groups in their campaign for the next general elections, Dr. Sam Amadi of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought has provided valuable insight. If we want to make a national breakthrough, he said, we need to fix the big regional vulnerabilities shown by past voting trends.
“When you look at Peter Obi’s performance in the 2023 election, it shows he does not have a strong foothold in northern Nigeria, so he has to work harder to gain ground,” he said in a video posted on the Official YouTube channel of Arise News on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, while analysing regional voting data and opposition party structures, thereby highlighting electoral vulnerabilities.
The opposition is incredibly vulnerable to aggressive political propaganda and manufactured media messaging due to the absence of grassroots penetration across the north. Toxic narratives have emerged as a result of complicated post-election tension, as pointed out by Amadi. Rivals purposefully use these narratives to manipulate public impressions even before the official campaign begins nationwide.
The minority parties are already deeply divided due to internal disputes over leadership and candidate selection, and these outside challenges are just making matters worse. It is becoming more difficult to challenge established political networks in extremely competitive northern states due to leadership disputes inside these platforms, which de-market their main candidates instead of capitalising on existing social movements.
Instead than depending solely on media optics, Amadi urged in his final remarks that the opposition should shift its focus to rigorous field organization and robust internal democracy. He adamantly maintained that in order to expand politically, one must first confront systemic flaws, make amends with disgruntled party members, and actively involve local demographics in order to establish a solid foundation on a national scale.
