• PDP national vice chairman decries move to ADC, defends Anyanwu’s retention
• Dalori dismisses coalition threats, vows to prioritise APC reconciliation
• Northerners unlikely to believe Obi’s one-term promise, says IPAC chair
• Rhodes-Vivour calls Tinubu’s administration failure, urges opposition unity

After weeks of deliberation among northern opposition politicians over aligning with an existing party or awaiting the registration of a new one ahead of the 2027 general elections, prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the North yesterday endorsed the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the preferred platform for the proposed Coalition Group.

The initial plan, The Guardian learnt, was for the various groups to split into three parties until February 2026, when it is expected that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will release the notice for the election.

Last Saturday, former Sokoto State governor and Senator representing Sokoto Central, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, held a consultative meeting with PDP stakeholders, during which the pros and cons of joining either of the two coalition platforms—ADC and All Democratic Alliance (ADA)—were discussed.

In attendance were prominent PDP chieftains, including the party’s National Organising Secretary, Umar Bature, and the state chairman, Aliyu Goronyo.

This was just as their contemporaries in neighbouring Kebbi State declared the need for the North-West geopolitical zone to go into any of the parties as a bloc, stressing that the impact of the zone could be better felt by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) if the zone speaks with one voice.

Kebbi State chairman, Dr Ibrahim Mera, had noted that only a united political front could rescue Nigeria from the misgovernance of the APC, adding that the state was fully committed to building a strong platform from the bottom up.

However, addressing some journalists in Abuja yesterday, the flag bearer of ADC for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State, Mr John Chuma Nwosu, disclosed that ADC has been chosen as the platform of choice.

He dismissed suggestions in some quarters that the application for the registration of the All Democratic Alliance has vitiated the coalition’s move to pool political forces together under one umbrella.

On why ADC and not ADA was chosen, Nwosu disclosed that while ADA was a party in search of recognition, “ADC was ready, tested and trusted as an existing political party that has been widely acknowledged in almost all the geopolitical zones of the country.

“ADC has been a long-established and nationally recognised party. It has never been deregistered. It’s a party in good standing, and it has always fielded credible candidates at the national and state levels.

“Quite on the contrary, ADA is an attempt to register an entirely new party. The ADA’s application, if I recall correctly, is one out of well over 100 applications still pending before INEC. ADA will have to cross the high hurdles of registration to get to where the ADC is currently,” he added.

On the change of leadership within the ADC, the governorship hopeful noted that, since politics is dynamic, leadership changes are routine, as long as they conform to established norms, stressing that the interests of the coalition are best served by new leadership.

“As you are aware, ADC will soon be announced as the coalition party at the national level. We are amenable to joining forces. Anambra will be the first test case, the ground zero for ADC and the coalition partners to test their collective resolve. We will welcome those who have joined or who may wish to join the coalition under ADC,” Nwosu declared.

But, speaking after “a strategic meeting” on Tuesday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, PDP heavyweights, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Senate President David Alechenu Mark, urged Nigerian politicians to unite to rescue the country.

At the meeting, held under the banner of ‘Concerned Leaders of the PDP,’ the leaders noted that the PDP’s current state, amid the worsening national condition under the APC, demanded urgent and bold action.

Dignitaries at the high-level gathering, presided over by former Senate President David Mark, included former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus; former governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), and Sam Egwu (Ebonyi).

Others present were Senator Ben Obi, Josephine Anenih, Senator Austin Akobundu, Kola Ologbondiyan, and Abdullahi Maibasira.

In a communiqué read by Mark, the group expressed deep concern over the PDP’s decline since the 2023 presidential election and the resignation of former National Chairman Dr Iyorchia Ayu. They warned that internal divisions and external suppression by the APC have weakened the PDP’s capacity to function as a credible opposition.

He stated, “Our dear party has never been the same again,” the leaders lamented. “The vision of the founding fathers has been eroded, and the APC-led federal government is using state institutions to stifle opposition and destroy democracy.”

The chieftains noted that Nigeria, under the APC, is facing a severe collapse of governance, economic hardship, insecurity, and growing international embarrassment. They described the ruling party as a “disaster to our nation” and insisted that it must be voted out to rescue Nigeria.

They therefore called on all loyal PDP members and progressive Nigerians to join forces in a broad-based political coalition committed to national unity, democratic governance, economic revival, and the fight against corruption.

“The PDP, with its organic structure, capacity, and history, remains the most credible platform to lead this charge,” the communiqué stated. “However, it must be rebuilt through unity and strategic alliances with other pro-democracy forces.”

PDP national vice chairman decries move to ADC, defends Anyanwu’s retention
Shortly after the PDP leaders announced their decision to move to another platform, the National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the party, Kamorudeen Ajisafe, described the defection of some party members to the coalition party, ADC, as unfortunate.

He stated that the party leadership had no alternative but to retain National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu after thorough deliberations, explaining that the stance of the Independent National Electoral Commission heavily influenced the decision to keep him.

On the likely impact of the defections on the 2026 Osun governorship election and the 2027 contest in Oyo State, Ajisafe stated: “Let me be frank with you—whatever is happening at the national level of the PDP has no bearing on Governor Seyi Makinde’s ability to determine his successor in Oyo or on Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election next year. Those outcomes are assured.

“INEC met with us and asked us to present a new national secretary, but from their posture, it was clear that the commission might not recognise anyone other than Anyanwu, since his name still appears on their website.”

Ajisafe added that the party considered going back to court for further interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling on the matter, but said, “How quickly the court can handle the case is uncertain, and frankly, time is no longer on our side. We were left with no option but to retain Anyanwu.”

He acknowledged that Anyanwu’s retention has angered some party members, mainly due to his perceived association with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. “Many believe Wike is using Anyanwu to destabilise the PDP,” Ajisafe said. “But honestly, defecting to ADC or any other party is not the best course of action. The PDP remains a strong and recognised brand.”

Dalori dismisses coalition threats, vows to prioritise APC reconciliation
The acting national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Ali Bukar Dalori, has dismissed the possibility of a coalition unseating the ruling party at the centre in 2027.

Dalori, who officially assumed office on Monday, previously served as the party’s deputy national chairman (North).

In an interview with BBC Hausa, he pledged to prioritise reconciliation among APC members at state, ward, and local council levels.

“I must rise and show all APC politicians that I have done my best to reconcile those who have had issues with one another,” Dalori said. “I will sit with them or appoint representatives who will go and meet them to prepare for this journey, which is greater than before, because politics needs people, and people need to be cared for in politics.”

Dalori stated that the date for the party’s national convention has yet to be fixed, emphasising the need for consultations with party stakeholders before making a decision.

“There are elders we must consult, and they are the ones to give the directive on whether the convention should hold or not,” he said.

Acknowledging challenges facing the APC, particularly at the state level, Dalori cited recent developments in the north-east as an example.

“Politics inherited this — our mouths are one, our heads are together, and we are still working with all of them,” he said.

Dalori also claimed that fear of the political future had driven some opposition figures to defect to the APC.

“I’m not hiding anything — they were afraid,” he said. “If they had stayed there, they wouldn’t contest elections. They joined us so that their needs could be met.”

He dismissed recent efforts by opposition parties to form a coalition, expressing confidence in the APC’s stability and resilience.

“I believe the expected implosion will not happen because we have sewn it together with a strong thread that will not break,” Dalori said.

Northerners unlikely to believe Obi’s one-term promise, says IPAC chair
The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), Yabagi Sani, has expressed doubts about Peter Obi’s pledge to serve only a single four-year term if elected President in 2027.

Speaking yesterday on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, Sani argued that it would be difficult for northerners to believe Obi’s promise, citing the dynamics of power and human tendencies once in office.

“Yes, Mr Peter Obi can agree to say: ‘I am going to do one term,’ but the northerners will tell you that after Bola Tinubu’s term, if he gets the (second) election, it should come to the North,” Sani said.

He added, “But we are human beings. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Peter Obi is not a saint; he is not somebody who is from another planet. We have seen successive governments trying to see how they can turn the constitution around and give themselves a third term and things like that.”

Sani emphasised that the principle of power rotation in Nigeria traditionally favours the northern region to produce the President after an eight-year rule by the South. With President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress seeking re-election in 2027, he argued that northerners would expect power to shift back to their region after Tinubu’s tenure.

Rhodes-Vivour calls Tinubu’s administration a failure, urges opposition unity for 2027
The Labour Party’s governorship candidate in Lagos State during the 2023 elections, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, describing it as “a failure” and attributing it to what he called the worst cost-of-living crisis Nigeria has experienced in four decades.

Speaking yesterday on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics, Rhodes-Vivour stated: “This government ultimately has been a failure. When you talk about the quality of life, the cost of living, this is the highest cost-of-living crisis that Nigeria has faced in the last 40 years.”

The politician also condemned the nation’s worsening security situation, highlighting the toll of violence across different regions.

“You look at security: over 10,000 people have died in the North, and about 7,000 people have died in the South. On the international tourism index, we have gone from number eight to number six,” he said.

Rhodes-Vivour further criticised the government’s prioritisation of expenditures amid widespread hardship. “You can talk of policies all you want, but if people are experiencing hardship, simultaneously, you are renovating the vice president’s residence,” he added.

He emphasised that the only way to save the country is for the opposition to unite and work together to unseat President Tinubu in 2027.

“The only way we can move this country forward as an opposition is to come together; we cannot afford to divide our votes again,” Rhodes-Vivour said. “If you add Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s votes to Peter Obi’s votes, they completely take out the current president.”

He revealed that efforts are underway to form a coalition among opposition groups, with an official announcement expected soon.

“The conversation now is we are working to put a coalition together; you are going to hear an announcement by tomorrow, next tomorrow, and everybody is coming together. That is our main focus. At that point, we can then say authoritatively this is the party we are going to run on,” he added.