2027 is close and parties are beginning to set their political goalposts. Rumours have it that some are collapsing structures to form a better coalition with others. Closed door meetings have been spotted in different corners. Amidst the whole of this, reports have it that five governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are reportedly urging Atiku Abubakar to abandon his presidential ambitions for the 2027 election. They are pushing for a coalition supporting a Nasir El-Rufai and Peter Obi ticket to challenge incumbent President Bola Tinubu.
Recall that reports have asserted that El-Rufai who is a founding member of the APC has been seen in closed doors meetings with some prominent members of the People’s Democratic Party and the Social Democratic Party. Also, early reports have observed how vocal the former FCT minister has been in his criticism of the APC, and that he had warned them in the past about their deviation from the party’s principles and ideologies.
In what looked like a peace move, last week, President Tinubu, among others, wished the former Kaduna State Governor a happy 65th birthday, thanking him for what he had done in his good fight for democracy and for the APC. El-Rufai, in a sharp comment acknowledged his best wishes and in the same vein talked about those who had to wait to be shamed by the presidency’s birthday wishes before sending theirs. Rumours further stated that he intensified his meeting with prominent members of both the SDP and the PDP perhaps in preparation for 2027 polls. Not long after these reports, a new one about an El-Rufai-Obi ticket surfaced.
The pro-coalition group is alleged to be led by Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the aim is to realign opposition forces to prevent a repeat of the vote splitting that happened in the 2023 election, which favored the All Progressives Congress (APC). The strategy is to weaken the PDP’s influence and make sure that oppositions vote under a unified platform. Rumour also has it that other governors who are also involved are Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri and three additional PDP governors.
Recent meetings between Atiku and El-Rufai, including a joint condolence visit to the family of the late Edwin Clark, points to a growing collaboration between the two, and it is aimed at reshaping Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.
A statement by an undisclosed source stated that: “Atiku and El-Rufai have been working closely with five PDP governors to realign forces ahead of 2027. Their goal is to prevent PDP from becoming a strong contender, thereby consolidating opposition votes under one platform.” The source further added that the plan is to present a clear option against Tinubu. They intend to do this by ensuring that “PDP is not a viable option in the next election, so its presence does not weaken their coalition. If they succeed, voters will be left with a clear alternative to Tinubu’s government.”
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