The Ulster Unionist Party has insisted it will not lose a single seat to the DUP and will actually make gains in tomorrow's Assembly election.
In a high-risk prediction, Mr David Trimble insisted his party wasn't in trouble and would perform very strongly. "We will not lose a single seat to the DUP and we will make gains," he said.
He was confident the UUP would both poll more first-preference votes and secure more Assembly seats than the DUP. He appealed for a strong turnout from supporters.
He declined to say that UUP voters should give their second preferences to the SDLP. After supporting his party, they should vote pro-Union before they voted pro-agreement, he said.
The DUP is asking its voters to transfer only to anti-agreement unionist candidates. DUP MP Mr Gregory Campbell dismissed Mr Trimble's prediction of the UUP remaining the largest unionist party.
"If he is still blissfully unaware of the unionist reaction on the doorsteps, then he is in for a bigger shock than many in his own party would have him believe. I'm sure he will be relieved of his blissful ignorance when the ballot boxes are opened on Thursday," Mr Campbell said.
Sinn Féin president Mr Gerry Adams said his party would make gains from the SDLP, whose supporters were put off by its "negative carping and begrudging campaign against Sinn Féin".
"Many SDLP voters are telling us that they are going to vote for Sinn Féin this time. We are being told the SDLP's failure to scrap student fees and the proposal by their ministers to bring in water charges are key issues of concern."
Mr Adams also claimed that, for the first time, his party would attract preferences from a "small amount of more far-sighted unionist voters".
The SDLP's director of elections, Ms Bríd Rodgers, insisted her party's core vote remained strong. "Our campaign to protect the agreement and stop the DUP has hit home with nationalist voters and that is why we will again be the largest nationalist party after the votes are counted.
"Nationalists will be surprised that Gerry Adams is attacking the SDLP at a time when we are going all out to stop the march of the DUP."
DUP South Belfast candidate Mr Mark Robinson said unionists wouldn't heed the SDLP's appeal for unionist transfers.