From Adamu Abuh and Ernest Nzor, Abuja
● Only coalition can defeat Tinubu, former VP insists, downplays govs’ rejection
● Atiku-el-Rufai alliance ‘desperate, self-serving,’ say S’South PDP youths
● Eno backs Tinubu for second term as Lagos-Calabar highway project kicks off in Uyo
● NNPP ‘dead,’ Kwankwaso will soon return to APC, says Ganduje
● Tinubu’s govt most corrupt, intolerant in Nigeria’s history, says el-Rufai

The question of how best to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections continued to dominate political discourse yesterday, with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar insisting that only a broad-based coalition can rescue the country from poor leadership.

Reacting to the recent declaration by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum rejecting any coalition plan, Atiku, through his spokesperson Paul Ibe, said the stance of the governors should prompt wider consultations rather than be seen as a setback.

“The governors are key stakeholders of any party, not just the PDP,” he stated. “They are important, as are all other stakeholders, including ordinary Nigerians. The coalition is a pan-Nigerian movement and project.”

Atiku explained that internal polling and strategic reviews had earlier indicated that a coalition was the most viable path to “redeem Nigeria” from what he described as failed leadership.

He emphasised that the coalition is gaining traction as a national movement beyond party lines and called for continued dialogue, expressing confidence that some governors would eventually align with the idea.

“This is not a setback,” he said. “The project continues. It’s a Nigerian project with Nigerians at its heart. It’s difficult to derail something when the people have taken ownership of it.”

However, the South-South Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Youth Amalgamation condemned the reported political alliance between Atiku and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, describing it as a desperate move by political jobbers to regain lost relevance.

In a statement issued yesterday by its convener, John Albert Clarkson, the group dismissed the alliance as a “last-ditch effort” by two political figures desperate to remain relevant in an evolving political landscape that increasingly rejects their brand of politics.

Clarkson accused both Atiku and El-Rufai of lacking political credibility and consistency, alleging that their careers have been defined by broken promises, opportunism, and contradictions. He particularly criticised Atiku’s frequent defection between parties in pursuit of power, and El-Rufai’s controversial tenure despite his reformist posture.

The youth group expressed full support for the stance of the PDP Governors’ Forum, led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, for rejecting what it called an “ill-conceived coalition”.

“The actions of the PDP Governors’ Forum are a beacon of hope,” the statement read. “Their rejection of the Atiku-El-Rufai alliance is not just a political decision but a reaffirmation of the party’s commitment to integrity, accountability and service to the people.”

Reiterating its faith in the PDP’s capacity to lead the country, the group called on Nigerians to rally behind the party as the most credible platform to drive national progress.

“The PDP, under the stewardship of principled leaders, is better positioned to guide Nigeria toward genuine development,” Clarkson said. “We urge all Nigerians to unite under the banner of the PDP and reject political opportunism in favour of purposeful leadership.”

MEANWHILE, Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, added a new twist to 2027 intrigues when he declared that he possesses the capacity to occupy the highest political office in the country, maintaining that he will not be distracted by the clamour in some quarters for him to run for Presidency in 2027.

Makinde, who is serving his second term in office and is a prominent chieftain of the PDP, made the remark yesterday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.

He said: “I don’t have any doubt that I have the capacity to occupy the highest office in this land, and I have what it takes. But what I want to do right now… Is it what Nigerians are asking for right now? Is it what my party will say we should do? We don’t know; we still have a long time to go.

“But where we are right now is that we must fix our party; we must have a platform for you to even aspire to be anything. Let me also say this: if my political journey ends here, I am also happy.”

The governor noted that he would not allow anyone to set an agenda for him, adding that as of now, he remained committed to delivering infrastructure, policies and programmes that will make lives more meaningful for the people, which is the mandate given to him by the Oyo State people.

Speaking on the 2027 general elections, the governor said the contest would not be a traditional party face-off but a broader battle between Nigerians and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). According to him, “2027 will not be about PDP versus APC. It will be Nigerians versus the APC.”

REMINISCENT of a divided house, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, yesterday expressed confidence that President Tinubu would complete two terms in office, a day after governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected coalition talks.

Eno, a PDP governor, made the remarks during the flag-off of Sections 3 and 4 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in Uyo, the state capital. The governor commended Tinubu’s commitment to infrastructure, describing the 700-kilometre highway as a transformative project that would benefit Akwa Ibom and the South-South region.

The newly launched sections span 107 kilometres across Akwa Ibom, covering 27 kilometres under Section 3B and 80 kilometres in Section 4, cutting through communities including Esuk Inwang, Ndom Ebom, and Ikot Akpabio.

ALSO, in a comic downplaying of opposition to Tinubu’s 2027 chances, the National Chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, said the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 general election, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would soon return to the ruling party.

Speaking at the APC national secretariat in Abuja yesterday while receiving members of the Tinubu Support Groups (TSG), Ganduje described Kwankwaso as a “General wandering in the wilderness” following the defection of many of his loyalists to the APC.

Ganduje, a two-term former governor of Kano State, said the defection of key NNPP figures in Kano and the National Assembly had left Kwankwaso politically stranded. He added that the NNPP, which brought Kwankwaso to national limelight during the last polls, was now “dead” and awaiting burial.

“The coffin where we would put the dead body of the party has already been constructed. What remains now is to dig the grave,” Ganduje declared, noting that NNPP senators, members of the House of Representatives, state assembly members and secretaries had resigned and were aligning with the APC. He further assured that Kwankwaso would be welcomed back to the party when he makes his return, describing the APC as the most viable political platform in the country. Ganduje also dismissed recent coalition talks among opposition politicians, saying they would ultimately fail.

In a related development, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has launched a scathing attack on the administration of President Bola Tinubu, describing it as the most corrupt, intolerant, and dishonest government in Nigeria’s history.

Speaking with journalists in Katsina on Monday night, El-Rufai accused the Federal Government of spreading false propaganda, particularly in its handling of security challenges across the country. He alleged that the current administration, which came into power in 2023, has failed to address the root causes of insecurity and has instead resorted to misinformation.

“This is the worst Federal Government in Nigerian history, and all the indices have shown it,” he said. “It is the most corrupt and most intolerant government, and the most dishonest, depending on lies and false claims.”

El-Rufai, who was in Katsina to condole with Governor Dikko Umaru Radda over the death of his mother, refuted government claims of improved security. He cited continued banditry in parts of Katsina, Zamfara, and Sokoto, noting that notorious bandit leaders such as Dogo Gide, Mallam Abba, and Bello Turji remain active.

“They keep announcing that top bandits have been killed, yet the real ones, those whose names are known across the North, are still very much alive,” he added.

The former FCT Minister also used the opportunity to promote his new political platform, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), which he described as a party of integrity with a rich history. He expressed confidence that the SDP would unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.