BREAKING: PDP Governors Finally React to Atiku, El-Rufai’s Coalition Call
Ibadan, Oyo – The governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have commented on the coalition calls by the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the immediate past governor of Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai.
Atiku and El-Rufai have posited that only a coalition can unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election. Thus, they are at the forefront of the campaign against the presidency.
How El-Rufai, Atiku’s alliance come alive
El-Rufai, a two-term governor on the platform of the APC, became friends with Atiku, who contested the 2023 presidential election against Tinubu under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), just after dumping his party for the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Their alliances and coalition calls have been criticised by some political stakeholders, particularly Balarabe Musa of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who described El-Rufai as a placeholder for Atiku in the SDP should the PDP deny him its presidential ticket.
The PDP governors at the end of the meeting on Monday, April 14, dismissed the possibility of joining the coalition or forming a merger with other political parties ahead of the 2027 presidential elections.
Bala Mohammed, the chairman of the forum and governor of Bauchi state, disclosed that the governors have also resolved to seek a clearer interpretation of the constitutional provisions concerning the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers state at the Supreme Court.
Why PDP governors challenged state of emergence in court
The governors maintained that the decision was to prevent abuses of safeguard the constitutional democracy. They also announced a plan to work with the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) and other relevant organs to constitute a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting for May 27, 2025.
Other resolutions of the PDP governors included the constitution of a zoning committee that will be saddled with the responsibility of allocating party offices and holding an early national convention on August 28–30, 2025, in Kano.
The forum also recommended the formation of a zoning committee and a national convention committee, which will be ratified by the NWC and the NEC.
Atiku’s coalition talks hit a rock
Legit.ng earlier reported that Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president of Nigeria and Nasir El-Rufai, the ex-Kaduna governor’s coalition talks to sack President Bola Tinubu in 2027 may be approaching failure.
This is because the major opposition parties, including the PDP, NNPP and the SDP, announced different routes to take over power in the 2027 election.
On the other hand, El-Rufai has been accused of being a placeholder for Atiku in the SDP should the PDP deny the latter its presidential ticket.
