The opposition bloc’s northern leaders are rethinking their plans and leading the charge to create a new mega coalition political party that will represent the region’s and its citizens’ interests in the general elections of 2027.
The Northern opposition block said in a statement following the National Political Consultative Group (NPCG) meeting in Abuja on Sunday that the new mega political party’s name would be revealed shortly.
The NPCG Chairman and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, signed the document, which stated that representatives from Abuja and all 19 federation states agreed that the North must act as a single unit in making a political decision to guarantee the region receives the most benefit from national political participation.
The gathering voiced grave concerns about the region’s deteriorating security, which it claimed has tripled unemployment and destitution in the entire northern region, exacerbated poverty, and resulted in the loss of many lives and property valued at millions of naira.
The communiqué claims that under the current administration, insecurity has escalated to previously unheard-of levels, resulting in widespread poverty, starvation, destitution, and the breakdown of basic and secondary education.
During the discussion, it was emphasized that the region, and the country as a whole, needs selfless leaders who will be honest in their management of political parties and public sector governance.
Participants also “condemned the impunity of elected leaders who abdicate their mandate by claiming to make decisions for their constituents without consulting them, citing recent developments in which elected state governors and legislators usurp the power of the people by endorsing themselves and other individuals for re-election to political offices without consulting their constituents, and advising that constituents should sanction such elected officials to serve as a deterrent.”
Participants “Agreed on the need to escalate the group’s initiative to all the nineteen (19) states and FCT through the provision of the appropriate template and resolved that the region must prioritize and promote industrialization and high productivity in all sectors in order to exit the present economic quagmire,” according to the communique.
In order to safeguard and defend the interests of the region, it was also decided at the meeting that the North would only back candidates who had an enforceable agreement, regardless of the candidate’s state of origin.
“That, moving forward, the North must prescribe its support for candidates at elections on enforceable agreement for the purpose of ensuring and protecting the informed interests of the region, regardless of where the candidates come from,” the communique went on.
At the end of the conference, it was decided to form committees to help carry out the choices and resolutions made.
During the APC National Summit on Thursday, the Progressive Governors Forum, the APC National Working Committee, and the party’s National Assembly members endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential race. The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) strongly denounced the decision, calling it extremely troubling for democracy.
Its National Chairman, Mallam Falalu Bello, OFR, signed a statement released over the weekend that the
The endorsements, according to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), were motivated more by desperation than by true democratic desire and “expose the APC’s attempt to cling to power through orchestrated endorsements rather than the genuine voice of the Nigerian people.”
We learn an important lesson from history and current political realities: power is maintained by the confidence and trust of the populace, not just by strategies. Even the strongest political apparatuses fall apart when the public loses faith in them, as demonstrated by examples from around the world.
Using the 2010 election in Ivory Coast as an example, the PRP remembered that “President Laurent Gbagbo attempted to hold onto power by using resources, state structures, and phony endorsements like President Tinubu.” However, voters eventually rejected him. The collective memory of adversity—poverty, hunger, and financial frustration—formed the basis of their choice.
“The Ivorian’s rejection showed that hunger never forgets and that the voice of a suffering people cannot be replaced by political machinery or propaganda.” Similarly, in Zambia, Edgar Lungu’s hold on the media, state apparatus, and finances proved insufficient, and he was overthrown by a young opposition candidate named Hakainde Hichilema. Hichilema turned people’s resentment into votes and ultimately altered the political landscape, demonstrating that people vote based on their suffering rather than party affiliation.
When people lose faith in the effectiveness and legitimacy of power, it becomes vulnerable, even when it is supported by the most robust structures. This is further highlighted by the Gambia instance of Yahya Jammeh. Even his devoted troops retreated when the ballot overrode propaganda, despite his desire to rule for “a billion years.”
Read Also:Â FRANCEEX UNITED FC SECURES NLO PLAY-OFF SPOT, EYES NPL PROMOTION
“Power is strong when it is built on the trust of the people; it is weak when it is founded on desperation and deception. This means that even the most complex plans become noise, defections become theater, endorsements become comedy, and power eventually eludes those who no longer trust their leaders.
“(President) Tinubu’s political machinery and endorsements may seem formidable now, but they cannot silence the cries of the masses suffering under skyrocketing fuel prices, failing infrastructure, joblessness, insecurity, brazen corruption, and a crumbling economy,” the PRP said, adding that Nigeria’s situation reiterates this truth.
People’s disenchantment is evident, and when they murmur, ‘This is not what we voted for,’ it indicates a serious rift between the governed and the leadership. Additionally, the aforementioned indices—rather than merely endorsements or political alliances—are the actual votes that will shape the future.
The PRP went on to say that the APC’s present decision to support Tinubu’s candidacy “seems to be a classic case of a desperate power grab—an attempt to cement dominance through endorsements and political theater rather than delivery of genuine democratic dividends.” History and contemporary reality show that the voice of the people—their suffering and aspirations—remains the final judge of actual power, regardless of how packed or practiced the political stage gets.
The PRP urged the APC and President Bola Tinubu to understand that democracy is about providing the people with real services, security, and dignity, not only about party machinery or endorsements. Any desperate attempt to subvert this essential idea is bound to fail.
“We support the people of Nigeria who are demanding genuine change rather than a grab for power. “The future belongs to those who realize that power must be based on the trust of the people, not on the desperate attempts of those who want to maintain it at all costs,” the statement said.
