The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has acknowledged the formidable challenge of dislodging the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.
This confession follows former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s call for a united front among opposition parties to prevent Nigeria from slipping into a one-party state under the APC.
During a meeting with the National Executive Committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria, Atiku expressed concerns about the APC’s trajectory towards a one-party dictatorship and stressed the imperative for opposition forces to unite against this trend.
In an interview with Punch, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Deputy Publicity Secretary of the PDP, echoed Atiku’s sentiments.
Abdullahi emphasized the necessity of a genuine coalition among opposition parties to challenge the APC in 2027 effectively.
He asserted that overcoming the APC’s dominance would be daunting, given the alleged hardships imposed on Nigerians by the ruling party.
He said: “We believe only merger or coming together of all opposition political parties will produce a better result. So, there is a need for other political parties to understand that it will be difficult to defeat the All Progressives Congress without a merger.
“So the other political parties must see the reason and identify with the PDP’s clamour for coalition. So, if they see this, then the better for Nigeria’s opposition and the people.
“But if other political parties want to go about it individually, they are not as strong as the PDP. It is very difficult for us to attain the objective of taking charge of the government and sacking this army of occupation that has decided to inflict maximum penury and anguish on Nigerians.”