The coalition of opposition politicians aiming to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections has been “born,” following a closed-door meeting held late Tuesday and stretching into early Wednesday.
The gathering reportedly included major political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, among others.
Sources confirmed that the meeting led to the formation of the new coalition, with various planning committees set up to work toward its public unveiling. Though still under wraps, insiders suggest this alliance is designed to build a united front against the ruling party.
However, the reported offer of a vice presidential slot to Peter Obi has caused controversy. Obi previously denied the rumor, which alleged he had been approached in London by Atiku to accept a running mate position.
Katchy Ononuju, former Special Adviser on Public Affairs to Obi during his tenure as Anambra State governor, has openly criticized the coalition’s direction. Speaking anonymously to the press, Ononuju questioned the coalition’s legitimacy and intent, declaring that it lacks inclusivity and transparency.
Speaking with DAILY POST, he said: “Coalition is just a dream, it’s an idea, it’s just a caucus of Atiku’s friends who are trying to preempt some PDP governors who are bent on zoning the Presidency to the South, so Atiku now gathered his people while trying to preempt what the governors will do. Before going to the meeting, they are telling you that Peter will be Vice President while Atiku will be president.
“When I and Doyin Okupe founded the Obidient Movement, we founded it out of anger, it was in reaction to the disagreement of the North to allow the zoning to bring the Presidency to the South, and that was why we left to start the youth movement.
“So, if they are talking about us coming back together to resume opposition, you must do a post mortem to ask yourself what was the foundational reason why we broke away from the party to start the youth movement, then you now have a lot of Atiku’s Caucus people trying to bring Peter back.
“I have told them that it will not work, you haven’t gotten him a ticket but you are offering him the VP slot, where is that done? That just tells you that this is a premeditated cooked up thing, it’s not going to work – take it from me, we do not accept it.
“That meeting yesterday was not just a meeting, they are telling him that Atiku will be president. What you are seeing is the caucus in the PDP that caused us to leave starting the same crisis again.
“And what we are saying is the presidency is only two years in the South, there is nothing wrong for Peter to politely attend the meeting, it’s okay but we the members of the Obidient Movement are not going to accept the premeditated attempt, we are going to wait until a decision is made by the PDP governors with regards to zoning, that is what we have accepted to do.”
He warned that the movement will work against the coalition if it attempts to make Obi its presidential running mate.
According to Ononuju: “The movement will work against Peter Obi being subjected to anybody.
“If you notice now in the country, everybody is attacking Peter and not Atiku because they know the truth about the outcome of the last election and we are saying Buhari has done eight years for the North; we simply say it should now rotate to the South.
“What you have now are the same people you saw that formed the original league of Northern Democrats bringing their cronies from the South to try to force Peter and cajole him to accept a VP position under Atiku and we say no.
“We are not against coalition but we are against a strategy to rework the old thing that was not acceptable.
“Atiku’s desperation is not caused by Peter, he caused it and I can tell you directly from my heart that nothing will work. I’m happy you saw what happened three days ago and we won’t accept it.
“Let the governors make the pronouncement, forget what Atiku’s problems are, this is a progression of the NLD and Atiku’s Caucus members telling you that they want a coalition that would preempt the position of the governors on zoning. That Peter Obi should be VP while Atiku does president, we say no.”
