The leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC), appears to be in a state of confusion, following the political coalition meeting spearheaded by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, Mr. Peter Obi, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi and other political heavyweights.
The meeting, which was held on Sunday, is a major step toward building a broad-based political coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The gathering News Band understand, is said to be part of a wider effort to unite Nigeria’s fragmented opposition under a single front, bringing together voices from various parties and political backgrounds to mount a credible challenge.
Atiku confirmed the development in a post on his social media platforms on Sunday, saying, “H.E. Peter Obi and I just arrived at the Abuja Continental Hotel for the National Political Consultative Group (North) event.”
Atiku had reportedly offered Peter Obi the vice-presidential slot on a proposed single-term ticket.
This offer, allegedly made during a private meeting in the United Kingdom earlier this year, would see Atiku serve only one term before handing over power to Obi, according to a recent exclusive report by The PUNCH.
“Atiku and Obi met earlier this year in the UK. That was where Atiku first proposed the coalition and urged Obi to be his running mate. Obi requested time to consult with his core loyalists,” a source told the newspaper.
Another insider confirmed growing consensus, stating, “Recent developments indicate Obi has accepted the VP slot, with both parties willing to sign a formal agreement. Atiku has assured he will step down after one term to support Obi’s presidency.”
This move marks a potential revival of the Atiku-Obi pairing, which was first seen in the 2019 presidential elections under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) banner.
Though, on Obi deputizing Atiku, Yunusa Tanko, the National Coordinator of Obidient Movement revealed that Obi is yet to decide.
“What I know is that Peter Obi has not told anybody that he is going to be a vice presidential candidate. He stands to contest as a presidential candidate.
“What we are having now is politicians who have a common interest coming together to plan ahead of the 2027 election”, he said
Moreover, with internal challenges plaguing both the PDP and Labour Party (LP), coalition leaders are reportedly considering the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as an alternative political platform.
“The Social Democratic Party (SDP) was initially in the mix, but its ranks may have been infiltrated by the APC. Now the ADC is emerging as a strong alternative, and meetings with its leadership have intensified,” a source said.
Also, Mr. Paul Ibe, Atiku’s media aide, confirmed coalition conversations are ongoing.
“His Excellency Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are committed to building a broad-based alliance to unseat the clueless APC government in 2027,” he stated.
Meanwhile, this medium gathered that the alignment of the opposition forces is not seating well with the ruling party.
It was gathered over the weekend that APC has formulated more cogent strategies to attract more governors and lawmakers into the party in a bid to have a stronger structure that would resist the coalition.
A source, who doesn’t want to be quoted, said APC has resolved that “all first-time governors will have automatic tickets” to run for the 2027 elections.
“The decision is that all first-time governors will be given automatic tickets and it’s not just a ticket, the party will fight for such a governor to ensure his re-election.
“So, most governors from the opposition parties, who are not sure of their victory are joining our party.
“For example, Akwa-Ibom and Delta State governors would have lost their re-elections if they remained in the opposition parties.
“In Delta for instance, Tinubu had settled for Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo as the next governor of the state.
“The governor knows that he cannot beat Keyamo, especially when backed by Tinubu so he decided to defect to APC.
“Regarding Akwa-Ibom State, if the Governor had refused to join APC, Akpabio could flush out his government by 2027. At the end of the day, it is all about personal interest”.
According to the source, the governors have also been allowed to handpick candidates for the national assembly.