FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark, former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, and other key figures within the Peoples Democratic Party have called on party members and Nigerians at large to support the emerging coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
This call was made in a communiqué signed by Mark issued following a PDP coalition meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja.
The communique read in part, “The meeting encourages all well-meaning PDP members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition.
“All coalition partners must be united on the issues of national unity, democracy, national security and national economy and the political will to stamp out corruption embedded in our institutions.
“The coalition partners to work out the modalities of winning all elections taking into consideration local and national peculiarities.”
President Bola Tinubu’s government has recorded both progress and challenges across different sectors.
Nonetheless, opposition figures from various parties have repeatedly condemned the All Progressives Congress-led administration, labeling it a failure.
Ironically, the main opposition parties — including the PDP, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, and Social Democratic Party have been battling internal divisions of their own.
In a move to mount a serious challenge ahead of the 2027 elections, former Vice President, Atiku, LP’s Peter Obi, ex-Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others unveiled a new political coalition in Abuja on March 20.
The development sparked widespread national discourse on the prospects of a unified opposition, drawing varied reactions from analysts and citizens alike.
For months, speculation surrounded the choice of a political platform for the coalition.
But on May 19, this newspaper exclusively reported that the coalition had officially adopted the African Democratic Congress as its political base.
Earlier reports by this newspaper reaffirmed that the coalition has chosen the African Democratic Congress as its political platform and has selected Senator Mark to serve as interim chairman, with an official unveiling scheduled for Wednesday.
The communiqué stated that the gathering of Concerned PDP Leaders was convened to address the troubling state of the party.
They expressed concern that since the party’s defeat in the last presidential election and the departure of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman, the PDP has struggled to regain its footing.
It continued, “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 inability of the 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 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.”
Mark, Atiku, and other PDP leaders decried the current state of Nigeria, describing the nation as weakened and a source of embarrassment in the international community.
The communique read in part, “The APC government, which came into being on the false and evil propaganda, to save Nigeria from the 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 life 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.”
In addition to Atiku and Lamido, other PDP stalwarts present at the meeting include former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, former Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), and Sam Egwu (Ebonyi).
Other PDP figures in attendance include Senator Ben Obi, former PDP National Women Leader Josephine Anenih, former National Organising Secretary Senator Austin Akobundu, ex-National Publicity Secretary Kola Ologbondiyan, and former National Youth Leader Abdullahi Maibasira, among others.