Unfolding realignment for 2027
The Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, LP, in the 2023 poll, Mr Peter Obi, recently met with his New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, counterpart, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in what was considered as part of political realignment ahead of the 2027 polls.
Obi also met with former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido and former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Already inter-parties defection of lawmakers are ongoing.
Atiku Abubakar, first mooted the idea of a merger by opposition political paries while hosting the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, last November.
He said the country was sliding into a one-party state, and added that it is crucial for the opposition parties to come together to wrest power from the APC.
He told the IPAC team: “You have come here, today, to say that we should cooperate in order to promote democracy.
But the truth of the matter is that our democracy is fast becoming a one-party system; and of course, you know that when we have a one-party system, we should just forget about democracy.
“We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party.
If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect generations yet unborn.“
Recently, the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, said leaders of opposition parties are in talks to build a more formidable party to oust the ruling APC.
“Twenty-two of the thoughtful and proactive leaders of political parties in blazing the trail have joined hands with our party, ADC, and like us, are committed to building a larger party that will give accommodation to all well-meaning patriots.
“We have resolved to work with all political leaders across that appreciate the need for coming together for a new Nigeria.
We discriminate against none; our commitment is a new Nigeria that will lead our dear continent out of its present abyss. We have therefore set up committees to consult far and wide to ensure the dawn of a new era,” Nwosu stated.
Why North doesn’t want Tinubu re-elected
Although he played critical roles in the emergence of President Buhari in 2015, northerners opposed to Tinubu said he has betrayed the North that helped him into power. They also accused him of mal-treating northern politicians on whose support he rode to power.
Several northern political figures and groups have expressed dissatisfaction with Tinubu’s administration, citing a range of issues from perceived neglect of northern interests to concerns about governance and security. They also pick holes in his appointments, which they described as sectional and dominated by his Yoruba ethnic stock.
2027: Why North is Against Tinubu
According to them, since independence, no ethnic group had held, at once, major slots like the President, Petroleum Minister, Finance Minister, Chief Justice of Nigeria, Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Army Staff, Interior Minister, Power Minister, Solid Minerals Minister, Transport and Marine/Blue Economy Minister, Attorney General of the Federation and Justice Minister, Controllers of Customs, and Immigration, and Chairman of Federal Internal Revenue Service, FIRS, among others.
Today, they said under Tinubu, the Yoruba, one of Nigeria’s three major ethnic groups, is holding the above positions.
One of those leading the move against Tinubu’s re-election is a prominent northern socio-cultural and political group, the Northern Elders’ Forum.
A member of the group, Prof. Usman Yusuf, reportedly said the North regretted supporting Tinubu during the 2023 general poll. He described the past one year of Tinubu’s administration as “deception, destitution, and hopelessness.”
He lamented: “People have lost hope. It pains me to see our people lining up to collect cups of palliatives. Renewed Hope has turned into hopelessness. People have lost hope.”
The NEF Spokesman, Abdulaziz Sulaiman, also reportedly said the North made a mistake supporting Tinubu in 2023, adding and that they would not repeat the mistake in 2027 but would strive to select a candidate who would unite the country and govern in the best interests of all Nigerians.
In like manner, the North-East Governors’ Forum accused the Tinubu-led Federal Government of neglecting the region in the provision of capital projects.
The forum’s Chairman and Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, complained of blackout in the zone and alleged that road and rail connections between the South-East and North-East had been abandoned.
Considered the electoral power bank of Nigeria, it is difficult to beat a United North in political contests in the country. The leaders are aware of this hence the ongoing realignments.
The perceived northern gang-up against Tinubu came to the fore after the meeting of immediate past Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai and the candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party in last year’s presidential election, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso; and the visit of the former governor of Sokoto state and a serving senator, Aminu Tambuwal, led by a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to former President Buhari in his Daura country home in Katsina State.
Although, Atiku said he visited Buhari to pay him Sallah homage, analysts insist that the visits are connected with posturing for 2027.
Although, el-Rufai, who could not make it through the Senate as TInubu’s ministerial nominee, has not openly declared war against Tinubu’s government, his son, Bashir, in a message to Tinubu, said: “Nobody is too big to be voted out of office by the people. It will happen and wallahi, nothing will happen. So, forget all this intimidation flying up and down. Let us be patient.”
Culled from VANGUARD
