2027: Coalition Rejects PDP, Considers Obi, Atiku, El-Rufai, Tambuwal, Jonathan for Presidency
According to reports, important political figures from northern Nigeria and other interested parties nationwide have decided to drop the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a strong opposition platform in the general election of 2027 against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
According to the Nigerian Tribune’s investigations, a large group of political elites from both the North and the South have been gathering for the past three months and have come to the conclusion that the PDP is no longer able to function as a viable opposition.
According to reports, a committee was established in late December 2024 to complete the creation of a new mega party, with the announcement of the party’s organizational framework due in late February.
According to sources, the coalition against the All Progressives Congress (APC) is considering the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and other minor registered parties as platforms.
A source revealed that the PDP is not included in the calculation since several of its governors are thought to be terrified of President Tinubu and are quietly trying to win his reelection.
Choice of presidential candidate
Although talks are progressing, the coalition’s presidential nominee has not yet been decided.
A number of names have surfaced as possible flagbearers: Former PDP Vice President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party 2023 candidate Mr. Peter Obi; former Kaduna State Governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; former Rivers State Governor and former Transportation Minister Mr. Rotimi Amaechi; former House of Representatives Speaker Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; and former President Goodluck Jonathan (rumored to be a wildcard choice to challenge a southern APC candidate).
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As they await INEC’s 2027 election timetable in May, the leaders are weighing four or five choices, according to a source with knowledge of the talks. Some people think that a southern candidate like Peter Obi must be involved in order to properly challenge the APC.
The strategic mobilization activities prior to the establishment of the new party are also believed to have included the just ended Democracy Summit in Abuja.
A source claims that the North has chosen a candidate they think will pose a significant threat to the APC in 2027. In order to bring together important opposition groups before the election, the alliance is being formed.
The Factor of Peter Obi
According to reports, Peter Obi is becoming more popular among the names being considered since some coalition members feel that the alliance cannot survive without his participation.
“Obi and Tambuwal are still important players in the final decision, even though Atiku is currently the opposition’s focal point,” the insider stated.
However, given that Atiku will be 81 years old by the 2027 elections, there are worries regarding his advanced age. In response, supporters point to Donald Trump’s ongoing political significance in the US.
An Important Role for the League of Northern Democrats (LND)
According to reports, a new political organization called the League of Northern Democrats (LND), which is headed by Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, the former governor of Kano State, is coordinating efforts to combine several opposition parties into a single political force.
The opposition’s intentions to run against the APC are still up in the air, with the 2027 elections still more than two years away, but the formation of a new mega party seems more likely.
