Atiku, Obi, Amaechi Unite in Coalition, Set to Announce Party for 2027 Election

Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have declared that they have formed an opposition coalition with the goal of running against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
Atiku reportedly confirmed the news during a press conference on Thursday at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja to inquiries from the media. Following growing debates on the need for a unified opposition to overthrow the current government, the announcement was made.
On March 8, Atiku, the 2023 PDP presidential candidate, reiterated his desire to bring the opposition together in order to overthrow the All Progressives Congress (APC), a cause he has always supported.
When El-Rufai switched from the APC to the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on March 10, it sparked more discussion among opposition leaders and increased the impetus for such a coalition.

“Yes, the coalition of opposition is being born ahead of 2027,” Atiku stated during his remarks at the conference.

Like Atiku, Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, emphasized that the coalition’s goal was the freedom and empowerment of the Nigerian people. According to Obi, who was represented by Yunusa Tanko, the Obidient Movement’s Interim National Coordinator, the coalition would deal with the country’s pressing governance problems.

Yes, the former vice president and His Excellency Peter Obi are working together on this, Tanko said in an interview. Plans for a conversation among the opposition are a crucial concept. Since the former governor of Anambra State has stated it before, it is clear that we must cooperate as a team.

It must be founded on a program to emancipate the Nigerian people, which is precisely what we have just begun, he added.

“Our democracy has been attacked morally, with indignity and a level of disdain,” according to Tanko, who also denounced recent political acts. In that specific statement against the Rivers State government, that is precisely what was demonstrated, and as Democrats, we will not tolerate such an absurd display of power and intolerance for the Nigerian people.

The partnership would concentrate on issues like electricity supply, security, and the declining quality of Nigeria’s educational system, he continued. “Everything will be based on issues,” Tanko continued.

He said, “It will be announced,” in response to a question concerning the coalition’s political allegiance.

Other opposition figures who attended the news conference included 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. Former National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), all former APC governors, all endorsed the coalition but were not present.

In an interview with The PUNCH, Peter Ameh stated that no decisions had been made on the coalition’s name or program, but that coalition talks had made great progress.

Read Also: Court Rejects Ex-Gov Kalu’s Attempt to Block FG’s Appeal in Fraud Case

As the previous vice president stated, the coalition is officially born with this press conference. We will continue to interact with political leaders and parties, and the conversations have gotten more heated,” Ameh said.

“At this point, we have not yet made a decision regarding the coalition’s name or platform,” he continued. Nonetheless, there are still debates about both. It will be made public as soon as we come to a consensus.

Regarding the alliance, PDP Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor also gave party leaders advice to maintain their flexibility. Osadolor stated that ensuring the APC was ousted from office in 2027 was in the best interests of the PDP and Nigeria overall.

“Well,” he went on, “I would advise the PDP leaders to avoid being very stiff or stagnant. Also, since they are the big brother of all the other opposition parties in this nation, they should learn to be accepting and adaptable.

Osadolor stressed that all Nigerians would gain from the coalition’s success. They should therefore be able to compromise and make the alliance a key topic of conversation. He came to the conclusion that tossing this government into the trash is beneficial for the PDP and all Nigerians.