By Alade Adisa
A coalition of politicians from different factions and parties in the country has expressed frustration over attempts to get their political party registered for the 2027 general elections
The coalition consists of individuals opposed to the re-election bid of President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement on Monday, Salisu Mohammed Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman (Northwest) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its reluctance to fulfill its responsibilities.
Leading the coalition are former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi; former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir el-Rufai; and Tinubu’s estranged ally and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal.
They are joined by some aggrieved members of the APC, including former Governor of Nasarawa State and former National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi; and former Ekiti State Governor and ex-Minister of Solid Minerals, Dr. John Kayode Fayemi.
Lukman noted that while responding to a question during a press conference, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar confirmed that discussions on forming a coalition ahead of the 2027 general election were ongoing.
According to Lukman, this has generated widespread interest and national debate, with varied interpretations.
He stated that, to set the record straight, it was important to clarify that negotiations were ongoing and nothing had been finalized.
“Once concluded, formal announcements will be made with all the details regarding the composition of membership, the program of action for 2027, the framework for contesting the 2027 elections, and other relevant matters.
“At this stage of negotiations, the primary focus is on getting leaders to agree to work together. There is a strong recognition that prospective members should set aside personal ambitions to contest the 2027 elections.
“The second key issue being negotiated is the political party that will serve as the platform for the 2027 electoral contest.
“These two issues are being carefully negotiated. While acknowledging that setting aside personal ambitions is a requirement, strong interests have been expressed regarding zoning by individual leaders. However, these issues have yet to be formally discussed at any consultation meeting.
“The speculation by some media analysts that disagreements have stalled the coalition negotiations is untrue. The consensus among leaders is that the final decision regarding candidate selection processes can only be addressed once an agreement is reached on the political party through which the coalition will field candidates.
“The negotiation over the choice of a political party remains the most challenging aspect. Many coalition members have been engaging in this discussion in different ways for over a year. It is also important to highlight that several groups, including some members of the coalition, have submitted applications to register political parties.
“For reasons best known to INEC, these applications are being frustrated. The only logical conclusion is that INEC has decided not to register new parties.
“To make matters worse, many existing registered parties that failed to meet the electoral threshold of winning any seat in the last general elections face the threat of deregistration. Given this reality, members of the coalition have opened negotiations with some of the existing parties that have met the electoral threshold. Interestingly, some of these prospective parties are being remotely pushed into crisis, similar to the existential challenges faced by the PDP, Labour Party, and NNPP. This appears to be a deliberate effort to undermine the legal basis for any party other than the ruling APC to field candidates in 2027.
“The extent to which Nigeria’s democratic space is rapidly shrinking is reminiscent of conditions under military rule. The determination and resilience of Nigerians are being called into question under the current APC-led government of President Tinubu.
“The leaders of the coalition are committed to providing the necessary leadership to rescue Nigeria’s democracy. We must appeal to all patriotic Nigerians to recognize the urgency of the situation. We cannot afford to wait until 2027 only to discover that Nigerians have been legally boxed into a one-party state.
“Another concerning reality is the way the rule of law is being tested in ways that threaten the country’s democratic development. All patriotic Nigerians must urge the judiciary to come to the rescue of Nigeria’s democracy by demonstrating their independence and upholding the sanctity of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended.
“We are confident that Nigeria’s democracy can be rescued. Rescuing democracy is fundamentally about creating a political party that can ensure and facilitate competitive political contests in the country. We recognize and respect all the interests, criticisms, and reservations expressed by Nigerians, including those of political leaders who are potential members of the coalition. Our strong appeal to all political leaders and Nigerians, in general, is that personal interests must not be allowed to undermine our collective ability to contribute to Nigeria’s democratic development,” he said.
Lukman further stated that, although the situation appears challenging, the negotiations over the political party that will serve as the platform for the 2027 electoral contest are nearing conclusion.
“All attempts to push Nigeria into a one-party state will be defeated. Once the negotiation regarding the political party is concluded, Nigerians will be formally informed of all the details, and mobilization for 2027 will commence.
“Other secondary negotiations will also begin. The procedures and processes for selecting candidates will be publicly negotiated through the activities and meetings of the party’s organs, ensuring active participation by party members. These critical issues will not be left to public speculation or reduced to manipulative political maneuvers.
“Rescuing Nigeria’s democracy goes beyond the simplistic debate of fielding candidates and the associated discussions about their qualifications and regions of origin. Everything must be done to elect accountable and democratic leaders at all levels. We must close this chapter of national democratic frustrations that has only produced political ‘emperors.’ This is the goal of the coalition, and we appeal for the support of all patriotic Nigerians.
“We do not expect this to be an easy task, but we are determined to succeed,” the coalition added.
Read Also: 2027: Atiku denies defection rumour, seeks coalition to dislodge APC
Read Also: 2027: Count me out of any power-grabbing coalition – Peter Obi
Read Also: INEC sets up committee for 2027 election planning
