A major opposition move against President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 reelection bid will take shape this Sunday as top political figures—including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Kayode Fayemi, Rauf Aregbesola, Ibrahim Shekerau, and David Mark—gather in Abuja for a high-stakes meeting.
Sources said the meeting will focus on finalizing a list of 40 to 100 key political coordinators in each of the 36 states and the FCT, who will lead what is shaping up to be a broad coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Discussions are ongoing regarding whether to form a new party or consolidate efforts under an existing platform. The Sunday gathering is also expected to address merging grassroots parties, harmonizing regional interests, and attracting key political allies—some of whom were once loyal to Tinubu.
“There are well-known Tinubu allies who’ve now joined the opposition. Their defection will surprise many,” a source close to the coalition revealed.
The meeting comes days after the APC endorsed Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate, a move viewed by some as a blow to democratic competition. In contrast, opposition leaders hope to leverage public dissatisfaction with inflation, insecurity, and economic hardship to mount a credible challenge.
El-Rufai, during a recent tech event in Katsina, boldly declared that the opposition coalition is determined to send Tinubu “back to Lagos” in 2027.
Meanwhile, the League of Northern Democrats, led by Shekerau, has thrown its weight behind the coalition, signaling readiness to either form a new party or fuse into a broader alliance.
“This meeting will be foundational for a new political direction. We are offering Nigerians a real alternative,” a coalition insider told The New Diplomat.
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