The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reportedly decided to drop President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a viable opposition platform in the general election of 2027, according to key political figures from northern Nigeria and other stakeholders throughout the nation.
According to investigations by the Nigerian Tribune, over the course of the last three months, a wide coalition of political leaders from both the North and the South have met and come to the conclusion that the PDP is no longer able to function as an effective opposition.
A committee was allegedly established in late December 2024 to complete the creation of a new mega party, and the party’s structure was to be announced by the end of February.
According to sources, the coalition against the All Progressives Congress (APC) is considering many smaller registered parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
According to a source, “the PDP is not prominently featured in the calculation because many of its governors are believed to be afraid of President Tinubu and are secretly working for his re-election.”
Alternative presidential candidate
The coalition’s presidential candidate has not yet been decided, despite ongoing discussions.
Numerous names have surfaced as possible flagbearers, including: Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president of the PDP’s 2023 candidate; Mr. Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and the Labour Party’s 2023 candidate; Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State; Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, the former governor of Rivers State and former minister of transportation; Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the former governor of Sokoto State and Speaker of the House of Representatives; and former President Goodluck Jonathan, who is allegedly being considered as a wildcard option to oppose a candidate from the southern APC
“While awaiting the 2027 election calendar from INEC in May, the leaders are considering four or five options,” according to a person involved with the negotiations. There are others who think that a southern candidate like Peter Obi is necessary to successfully confront the APC.
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According to reports, the recently finished Democracy Summit in Abuja was a component of the strategic mobilization activities that preceded the formation of the new party.
The North seems to have chosen a candidate they think can pose a significant threat to the APC in 2027, a source claims. Prior to the election, the coalition is being organized to bring together important opposition forces.
Peter Obi’s Contribution
Since some coalition members feel that the alliance cannot survive without his participation, Peter Obi is allegedly gaining pace among the names being considered.
According to a source, Obi and Tambuwal are still crucial figures in the ultimate decision, even though Atiku is currently the opposition’s focal point.
Nonetheless, Atiku’s age raises questions because he will be 81 years old by the 2027 elections. Donald Trump’s ongoing political significance in the United States is used by supporters to refute this.
The League of Northern Democrats (LND) Is Important
The League of Northern Democrats (LND), a new political organization headed by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, the former governor of Kano State, is reportedly coordinating efforts to combine various opposition parties into a single political force.
Although the opposition’s intentions to confront the APC are still up in the air, the formation of a new major party seems more likely given that the 2027 elections are still more than two years away.
