The immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has said that all hands are on deck within the coalition to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is sent back to Lagos in 2027.
According to El Rufai, discussions are ongoing among key opposition figures—including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi—geared toward forming a coalition with the goal of challenging President Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
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El-Rufai made this known during his remarks at the Arewa TechFest event held in Katsina on Wednesday.
He stated, “Yesterday at 8 PM, there was a very important meeting of the coalition we’re putting together to ensure that President Tinubu goes back to Lagos.”
It would be recalled that a crucial meeting held on Tuesday concluded with the selection of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the political platform for this opposition alliance.
Sources familiar with the development said the coalition intends to build a strong, nationwide movement that includes representation from various geopolitical regions, along with the involvement of technocrats, civil society organizations, and disenfranchised political actors.
“They have adopted the African Democratic Party as the coalition party, all of them (Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai) are working together. They came to the conclusion last night up till the early hours of this morning,” a source revealed.
El-Rufai also commented on the performance of a serving minister, saying, “Though we will still keep Bosun Tijani, we will still keep the minister because he is doing good work.”
The formation of this alliance signals a reconciliation between political figures who previously stood as opponents during the 2023 presidential contest.
Their failure to present a united front at the time was seen as a major factor in Tinubu’s electoral success. Combined, Obi and Atiku received more votes than Tinubu’s tally of 8.7 million, suggesting that a coordinated opposition effort could pose a serious threat in the next election cycle.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the ADC, Mani Ahmed, recently confirmed that the party will serve as the official platform for the coalition.
“I can categorically inform you that the African Democratic Congress is the coalition party in Nigeria. What remains is merely dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s,” he said at a press conference.
