The coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized governors from the Peoples Democratic Party, accusing them of working against efforts to build a strong political alliance aimed at challenging the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections.
The accusation came in a statement released on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, by Salihu Moh. Lukman on behalf of the coalition’s secretariat in Abuja. The statement responded to the PDP Governors’ Forum’s decision on April 14 to reject the proposed broad-based coalition, which was intended to serve as a united opposition front.
Lukman expressed disappointment with the PDP’s performance in opposition over the past decade, suggesting the party had been largely inactive. He alleged that the PDP’s inability to reinvent itself had allowed the Tinubu-led APC to dominate without serious resistance. According to him, the coalition’s efforts are aimed at giving Nigerians a genuine political alternative, something he believes the PDP has failed to offer.
He went further to accuse the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of sabotaging the PDP from within. Lukman claimed Wike’s position in President Tinubu’s administration was not based on his performance, but rather on his success in preventing the PDP from preparing a credible challenge for the presidency in 2027.
The coalition expressed concern over what it described as a leadership vacuum within the PDP. Lukman pointed out that the party has not held a National Executive Committee meeting for the past two years, suggesting that this reflects a lack of direction and internal democracy.
He also criticized the conduct of the PDP governors, accusing them of taking over the roles of the party’s legitimate organs and steering it away from its foundational goals. Lukman warned that it would be pointless to rely on a party where its top figures are either serving in APC-led government roles or covertly supporting the ruling party.
The Atiku coalition insists that a new political alliance is urgently needed to restore confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process and give citizens a credible alternative to the APC in the next general election.
