Atiku camp reacts to PDP Governors rejection of his coalition initiative ahead of 2027

A coalition opposed to President Bola Tinubu, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has strongly criticized governors from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of sabotaging efforts to challenge Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections.

The group alleged that the governors are overstepping their bounds, sidelining other party structures, and weakening the opposition.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the coalition condemned the outcome of the PDP Governors Forum meeting held on Monday, April 14, where the governors rejected plans to build a broad alliance of opposition parties, political figures, and civil groups.

Responding to the development, coalition spokesman Salihu Moh. Lukman defended the alliance as a critical step—not just to defeat Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), but also to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy from what he described as a looming collapse.

He said, “For more than 10 years that the PDP had been out of power, Nigerians had waited for the party to dust itself off and provide the viable opposition that Nigeria needs. Instead, the party went into suspended animation until the rampaging Tinubu-led APC found a willing undertaker to finally put it to rest.

“The governors know that the virus that afflicts the PDP has no cure. They are only grandstanding. They know that Nigerians cannot accept this PDP as the alternative because it is clear to all discerning Nigerians that the ruling party has hijacked its soul.

“Nyesom Wike is the untouchable super minister in Asiwaju’s government, not because of the sterling job he is doing in the FCT, but because he has done a great job of ensuring that the PDP is not able to present a presidential candidate to challenge Tinubu for power in 2027.

“However, with the growing coalition, that mandate has been adjusted in recent weeks. The new agenda is to revive the PDP to stand as a counterforce to the coalition and present a candidate that would split the vote in 2027. This PDP Governors’ Forum is wittingly or unwittingly playing Asiwaju’s spoiler game, and they expect Nigerians to take them seriously.”

Lukman stated that the primary goal of the coalition is to rescue Nigeria’s democracy by restoring trust between citizens and political leaders.

He emphasized that the coalition is essential to revive the credibility of political institutions—particularly political parties—in ensuring healthy and competitive democratic processes.

According to him, the decline of Nigeria’s democracy is most evident in the state of the PDP, a party that once ruled for 16 years and arrogantly claimed it would remain in power for 60.

“The mere fact that the NEC meeting of the party has not been held for two years and no Nigerian can confidently tell who is really in charge of the party is evidence of this collapse. This should be the concern of leaders of the party, including its governors.

“Unfortunately, all we have seen of the PDP governors is the flagrant usurpation of the powers assigned to the organs of the party. This is wrong. It is also a clear demonstration that if left alone, the PDP governors will only continue the path of destroying democratic institutions in the country.

“As it is, all patriotic Nigerians who are committed to rescuing Nigerian democracy should recognise that the challenge facing us as a nation is beyond the romantic affiliation to so-called political parties such as the PDP, with many of their leaders operating as Trojan horses to the APC and President Tinubu’s government.

“It makes no sense to invest energy and resources in a party whose leaders are either appointees of the APC government or undercover supporters. Otherwise, how can anyone justify the way PDP and its leaders are mismanaging themselves and practically putting themselves on the path of self-destruction and political irrelevance?

“For the avoidance of doubt, the coalition is fundamentally about rebuilding Nigerian democracy. Leaders of the coalition recognise this and, more importantly, recognise all the challenges ahead. Resolving these challenges and building the confidence of Nigerians is about restoring the value of political negotiations as critical and fundamental to guaranteeing the survival of democracy. Over the years, both the PDP and APC have demonstrated contempt for political negotiations and, to that extent, disrespected agreements in various ways.

“The survival of Nigeria and the future of democracy largely depend on how political actors seek to reverse this ugly reality. This is what leaders of the coalition have been painstakingly working on. The coalition is working hard to finalise negotiations towards unveiling the coalition, along with its structure and programme of action for rescuing Nigeria.

“The expectation is that all political actors, including leaders of the PDP, would recognise the danger facing the country and join the coalition as a necessary and perhaps strongest response towards rebuilding Nigerian democracy. This has not happened. However, even as the PDP governors and some leaders of the PDP express opposition to joining the coalition, we extend hands of fellowship to all political actors in the country to join us to rescue Nigerian democracy,” the coalition added.