A coalition of civil society and opposition groups has called on former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to close ranks ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that failure to do so could hand President Bola Tinubu an easy second term.
The advice was issued yesterday in Abuja during a gathering of groups including the Save Democracy Mega Alliance (SDMA) and the Civil Societies Alliance.
Speaking on behalf of the coalition, the South-South Coordinator of SDMA, Tony Akeni, said the meeting concluded that Atiku and Obi represent the country’s best chance of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
“If the right decisions are taken by stakeholders of our opposition political parties and electorates, we shall achieve the urgent objective of emancipating our country through the ballot in 2027,” Akeni said. “If, however, leaders of the progressive opposition miss the presidential victory in 2027 through wrong decisions, the consequences shall be dire for our nation in countless ways.”
Akeni noted that both Atiku, now with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Obi of the Labour Party are “eminently qualified” to lead the country. However, he stressed that intelligence gathered by the coalition suggested neither man could secure victory if they contest separately on rival platforms.
He further alleged that the current administration was already putting measures in place to frustrate the ambitions of opposition candidates, but argued such efforts would only succeed if Atiku and Obi failed to unite.
According to him, contesting against each other would be a “historically regrettable and irredeemable mistake” that could cost the opposition the presidency in 2027.
