Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and other members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have endorsed the move to form an opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.
At a meeting held on Tuesday, at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, the PDP leaders agreed to fully support the coalition and urged all party members to collapse their structures into the new alliance.
“The meeting encourages all well-meaning PDP members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition,” the leaders said in a communique issued after the meeting.
The new coalition platform, it is understood, will operate under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which will be formally unveiled on Wednesday.
Present at the Abuja meeting were Atiku, David Mark, former Cross River Governor Liyel Imoke, former Sokoto Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, former Ebonyi Governor Sam Egwu, and former PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, among others.
Also involved in the coalition talks are key opposition figures outside the PDP, including former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
The PDP leaders on Tuesday urged all coalition partners to remain focused on issues of national importance, particularly security, the economy, anti-corruption, and democracy.
“All coalition partners must be united on the issues of national unity, democracy, national security, national economy, and the political will to stamp out corruption embedded in our institutions,” the communique read.
In addition to endorsing the coalition, the PDP also tasked its members and coalition allies to develop strategies for winning elections across all tiers of government, taking into account both local and national dynamics.
“Since our loss in the last presidential election and the exit of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman, our dear Party has never been the same again.
“Vested interests from within and the irresponsible actions of the APC-led federal government, which has been using State Institutions to stifle and destroy democracy, know no bounds!” the communique stated.
“The inability of PDP leadership to lead the Party by its Constitution, rules and regulations led it into a chaotic and undisciplined Party!
“The vision of the founding Fathers for which the Party was established and the role it played in restoring Nigeria as a stable and united country and key player on the regional, continental, and global stage has been washed away just as our roles as the leader of the black race is now overtaken by smaller and less endowed countries.
“Painfully, Nigeria is now a diminished country and an embarrassment on the world stage!” the statement added.
The leaders also blamed the APC government for the PDP’s recent instability.
“The APC government, which came into being on the false and evil propaganda to save Nigeria from PDP is now a disaster to our nation and therefore must be voted out of power.
“All indices of development that support the comfort and quality of lives of the citizens have collapsed, and life is now hell in Nigeria.
“The PDP, which is organic with the discipline, capacity, and history to lead and save Nigeria, is now a shadow of its old self. The heatwave unleashed by the APC Federal government through threats, blackmail and patronage has forced elected officers in government to abandon the PDP.”
