A coalition of opposition figures has been formed by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with the goal of running against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
According to reports, Atiku acknowledged the development during a press conference on Thursday at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. The announcement comes after growing debate over the need for a unified opposition to overthrow the existing government.
On March 8, Atiku, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, reiterated his long-standing call for more unity among opposition groups in order to overthrow the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Following El-Rufai’s March 10 switch from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which sparked additional discussion among opposition leaders, the momentum for such an alliance heated up.
“Yes, this is the birth of the coalition of opposition ahead of 2027,” Atiku remarked during his remarks at the conference.
In line with Atiku’s views, Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, emphasized that the coalition’s main goal was the emancipation and empowerment of the Nigerian people. Obi clarified that the alliance would deal with the country’s pressing governance problems through Yunusa Tanko, the Obidient Movement’s Interim National Coordinator.
“Yes, His Excellency Peter Obi and the former Vice President are working together on this,” Tanko said in an interview with The PUNCH. Plans for an opposition discussion are a crucial concept. There is no question that we must cooperate as a team; in fact, the former governor of Anambra State has stated as much.
“But the only thing he emphasized is that it must be based on a program to emancipate the Nigerian people, and that is exactly what we have just started,” he added.
Tanko went on to denounce recent political acts, saying, “Our democracy has been attacked morally, with indignity and a level of disdain.” That specific statement against the Rivers State government demonstrated just that, and as Democrats, we will not tolerate such an absurd display of power and intolerance for the Nigerian people.
He continued by outlining the concerns that the alliance would prioritize, such as security, electricity supply, and the declining quality of Nigeria’s educational system. Tanko continued, “This will all be issue-based.”
He said, “It will be announced,” in response to a question concerning the coalition’s party affiliation.
A number of other opposition figures were present at the news conference, including Segun Showunmi, the convener of The Alternative; Peter Ameh, the national secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties; and Babachir Lawal, the former secretary to the Government of the Federation. While not present, former APC governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), and former National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu also endorsed the coalition.
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In an interview, Peter Ameh disclosed that although no decisions had been made regarding the coalition’s name or program, coalition talks had accelerated significantly.
The press conference marks the coalition’s genesis, as the former vice president stated. We will keep interacting with political leaders and parties, and the conversations have gotten more heated,” Ameh said.
We still haven’t settled on the coalition’s name or platform,” he continued. Still, there are continuous conversations about both. As soon as we come to a consensus, it will be made public.
Speaking about the alliance, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor also counseled party leaders to maintain their flexibility. According to Osadolor, “ensuring the APC is ousted from power in 2027 is in the best interest of the PDP and Nigeria overall.”
“Well,” he went on, “I would advise the PDP leaders to avoid being very stiff or stagnant. Being the older brother of all the other opposition parties in this nation, they should also learn to be adaptable and tolerant.
Osadolor stressed that all Nigerians would gain if the coalition was successful. Thus, they ought to be able to compromise and make the alliance a key topic of conversation. “It is best for the PDP and all Nigerians if this government is thrown into the trash can,” he said.
