By Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja
The anti-Tinubu coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has slammed governors of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for playing the spoiler for President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election, accusing them of usurping the powers of other organs of the PDP and killing the opposition.
The coalition in a statement on Wednesday was reacting to the resolution of the PDP Governors Forum at its meeting on Monday, April 14, where the state chief executives declared their opposition to the initiative to form a broad-based coalition of opposition political parties, politicians and other groups.
However, coalition spokesman Salihu Moh. Lukman, in the statement, said the coalition is a viable option not only for defeating the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Tinubu but also for rescuing Nigeria’s democracy from imminent collapse.
He said, “For more than 10 years that the PDP had been out of power, Nigerians had waited for the party to dust itself off and provide the viable opposition that Nigeria needs. Instead, the party went into suspended animation until the rampaging Tinubu-led APC found a willing undertaker to finally put it to rest.
“The governors know that the virus that afflicts the PDP has no cure. They are only grandstanding. They know that Nigerians cannot accept this PDP as the alternative because it is clear to all discerning Nigerians that the ruling party has hijacked its soul.
“Nyesom Wike is the untouchable super minister in Asiwaju’s government, not because of the sterling job he is doing in the FCT, but because he has done a great job of ensuring that the PDP is not able to present a presidential candidate to challenge Tinubu for power in 2027.
“However, with the growing coalition, that mandate has been adjusted in recent weeks. The new agenda is to revive the PDP to stand as a counterforce to the coalition and present a candidate that would split the vote in 2027. This PDP Governors’ Forum is wittingly or unwittingly playing Asiwaju’s spoiler game, and they expect Nigerians to take them seriously.”
Lukman said rescuing Nigerian democracy, which is about rebuilding trust between citizens and politicians, is the main objective of the coalition.
According to him, the coalition has also become necessary if the integrity of political institutions, especially political parties, in upholding and promoting political competitions in the country is to be restored.
He said nothing represents the sad reality of the destruction of Nigeria’s democracy than the party that ruled Nigeria for 16 years and arrogantly boasted of ruling for 60 years, the PDP.
“The mere fact that the NEC meeting of the party has not been held for two years and no Nigerian can confidently tell who is really in charge of the party is evidence of this collapse. This should be the concern of leaders of the party, including its governors.
“Unfortunately, all we have seen of the PDP governors is the flagrant usurpation of the powers assigned to the organs of the party. This is wrong. It is also a clear demonstration that if left alone, the PDP governors will only continue the path of destroying democratic institutions in the country.
“As it is, all patriotic Nigerians who are committed to rescuing Nigerian democracy should recognise that the challenge facing us as a nation is beyond the romantic affiliation to so-called political parties such as the PDP, with many of their leaders operating as Trojan horses to the APC and President Tinubu’s government.
“It makes no sense to invest energy and resources in a party whose leaders are either appointees of the APC government or undercover supporters. Otherwise, how can anyone justify the way PDP and its leaders are mismanaging themselves and practically putting themselves on the path of self-destruction and political irrelevance?
“For the avoidance of doubt, the coalition is fundamentally about rebuilding Nigerian democracy. Leaders of the coalition recognise this and, more importantly, recognise all the challenges ahead. Resolving these challenges and building the confidence of Nigerians is about restoring the value of political negotiations as critical and fundamental to guaranteeing the survival of democracy. Over the years, both the PDP and APC have demonstrated contempt for political negotiations and, to that extent, disrespected agreements in various ways.
“The survival of Nigeria and the future of democracy largely depend on how political actors seek to reverse this ugly reality. This is what leaders of the coalition have been painstakingly working on. The coalition is working hard to finalise negotiations towards unveiling the coalition, along with its structure and programme of action for rescuing Nigeria.
“The expectation is that all political actors, including leaders of the PDP, would recognise the danger facing the country and join the coalition as a necessary and perhaps strongest response towards rebuilding Nigerian democracy. This has not happened. However, even as the PDP governors and some leaders of the PDP express opposition to joining the coalition, we extend hands of fellowship to all political actors in the country to join us to rescue Nigerian democracy,” the coalition added.
Vanguard recalls that aside from Atiku, other drivers of the coalition include former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Peter Obi; former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai; and Tinubu’s estranged ally and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
They are joined in the coalition by some aggrieved elements of the APC, including a former governor of Nasarawa State and former national chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; former Rivers State governor and ex-transport minister, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; and former Ekiti State governor and ex-minister of solid minerals, Dr John Kayode Fayemi.
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