Ahead of the 2027 general election, there are strong indications that major opposition politicians are working on merger plan to challenge incumbent President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu, from the All Progressives Congress (APC), has not publicly declared his re-election bid but it is a public knowledge across Nigeria that the President is nursing a second term ambition at the Presidency.
However, major opposition politicians including Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Nasir El-Rufai, former Kaduna State governor, are reportedly in advance stage in merger talk at forming a new political party or adopting any existing political party in the country ahead of 2027.
According to sources, Atiku and Obi are aware of the need not to make the same error that they both committed in 2023 general election, by running individually and under-rating the powers of APC.
According to reports, the two leaders recently met to deliberate on the possibility of such merger and also the likelihood of adopting a fresh political platform if it was the best.
Multiple Sources say, the politicians are scheduled to meet again in Yola, Adamawa State, on Saturday, November 30, where Obi will serve as the keynote speaker during a ceremony marking Atiku’s 78th birthday.
The event, taking place at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) owned by Atiku, is reportedly intended to demonstrate their continued camaraderie.
Recently, The Africa Report disclosed that a spokesperson for the duo acknowledged that a potential merger is being considered but declined to share specific details.
Since their defeat to President Bola Tinubu and the APC in 2023, Atiku and Obi have explored avenues for collaboration. The discussions are seen as a response to internal challenges within their respective parties.
The PDP has faced a prolonged crisis, with its current national chairman, Umar Damagum, being an ally of Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
Wike has been a vocal critic of Atiku’s presidential bid and supported Tinubu in the last election.
Similarly, the Labour Party has struggled with internal discord, as Obi’s relationship with the party’s chairman, Julius Abure, has soured.
The talks between Atiku and Obi are reportedly advancing, with election preparations set to commence in just over a year.
Former Kaduna State Governor El-Rufai is also said to be be keen on the merger, and is involved in these discussions, signaling the possibility of a significant political realignment.
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