As the Nigerian political atmosphere starts drifting towards the 2027 presidential election, former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has been cautioned against any proposed alliance with his counterpart from the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, and the opposition.
Stakeholders in the political sphere said Atiku can’t form any coalition that would oust President Bola Tinubu from power in 2027, despite the leadership crisis within the PDP, LP, and New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
Since the 2023 presidential election, the PDP has been battling with a leadership crisis as factions jostle over the position of the National Chairman of the party, and the same scenario plays out in the Labour Party.
DAILY POST reports that the internal crisis within the NNPP led to the suspension of the Kano State Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, and the Commissioner of Transportation, Muhammad Diggol.
The party chairman, Hashim Sulaiman Dungurawa, said the suspension followed alleged disrespect to the party, abuse of power, office, and disloyalty to the party. In July, aggrieved members of the party also disowned Kwankwaso because they claimed he was a threat to the party.
In January, political scientist Pat Utomi had announced that he consulted with PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, LP’s Peter Obi, and NNPP’s Rabiu Kwankwaso on the possibility of forming a new political party.
Recently, Utomi affirmed that Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Obi have agreed to form a political party that would oust President Bola Tinubu from power in 2027.
Dismissing the remark, the All Progressives Congress, APC, National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, described Utomi’s disclosure as an “unmitigated delusion of grandeur.”
Morka said: “As a serial promoter of mega parties that never materialized, Prof. Pat Utomi’s statement cannot be taken that seriously.”
Amid these internal wranglings among parties and Utomi’s declaration, Atiku Abubakar, Obi, and Kwankwaso are holding alliance talks with some other political stakeholders on the possible merger.
Stressing that the opposition leaders are in talks, Atiku’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Paul Ibe, told DAILY POST: “When you are going to birth an alliance like this it won’t be on the pages of newspapers, it will be away from the media glare.
I can assure you that the process is ongoing, all of the stakeholders and various leaders have recognized the imperative of that alliance to forge a united front to recover Nigeria from these people just toiling with the lives and destiny of Nigerians. They are committed to that and the process is ongoing.”
When quizzed on Atiku, Kwankwaso, and Obi’s involvement in the alliance, he said: “The opposition leaders are talking, they have begun the process. The opposition leaders have commenced the process that would birth the alliance.”
However, the Director General of Heritage Centre, a think tank dedicated to research into economics, politics, and opinions, Katchi Ononuju, dismissed the possibility of a merger.
