The anti-Tinubu coalition, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has accused governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of sabotaging efforts to form a united opposition against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, coalition spokesperson Salihu Moh. Lukman criticised the PDP Governors Forum for rejecting a proposed coalition of opposition parties and political figures. The governors had, during their meeting on April 14, voiced disapproval of the initiative aimed at forging a broad-based alliance against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lukman insisted that the coalition represents a critical pathway not just to challenge the APC’s grip on power but to rescue Nigeria’s democracy from what he called imminent collapse.
“For more than 10 years that the PDP has been out of power, Nigerians have waited for the party to provide the viable opposition needed,” he said. “Instead, it went into suspended animation until the Tinubu-led APC found a willing undertaker to finally put it to rest.”
He alleged that key figures like Nyesom Wike, now serving as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, have contributed to the PDP’s decline, positioning themselves to weaken the opposition ahead of the next elections.
“The current goal is to revive the PDP just enough to act as a spoiler — to divide opposition votes in 2027. The PDP governors are now playing Asiwaju’s game, knowingly or not,” Lukman claimed.
The coalition, according to him, aims to restore democratic values by building trust between citizens and political institutions, which he said have been weakened under both APC and PDP leaderships.
Citing the PDP’s failure to convene a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in two years and the internal power struggles plaguing the party, Lukman accused the governors of usurping roles meant for other party organs. “If left unchecked, these governors will continue destroying democratic structures,” he warned.
He stressed that the coalition remains open to all political actors committed to rebuilding Nigeria’s democracy, even as some PDP leaders have rejected the alliance.
“Patriotic Nigerians must look beyond loyalty to parties like the PDP, whose leaders now serve as undercover supporters of the APC. Our focus is on political negotiation, building consensus, and restoring confidence in democracy,” the statement added.
Among those driving the coalition alongside Atiku are 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi; former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai; ex-SGF Babachir Lawal; former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu; ex-transport minister Rotimi Amaechi; and former Ekiti State governor Kayode Fayemi.
