The presidency has strongly denied growing reports that opposition parties are forming a new coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next general election.
In a message posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday, Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, labeled the rumors as nothing more than fiction.
He called the idea of a rising coalition “political hallucination,” saying that no major political players have shown genuine interest in such an alliance.
“To say a political coalition is surging when in fact no one is interested in it is a political hallucination,” Bwala said.
Bwala also noted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is gaining more political strength rather than losing ground. According to him, several opposition figures have recently joined the party, showing that APC is still growing despite criticism.
He pointed out that top leaders within the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party have publicly stated that they are not involved in any talks about a new coalition.
“The Governors forum of PDP said they are not interested, the NWC of PDP said same. Peter Obi recently said he is not in any coalition talks, Labour Party people said they are not interested,” he added.
He further noted, “Meanwhile in contrast the party surging is APC; receiving defectors left, right and centre including a former vice presidential candidate of PDP in the 2023 elections.”
Despite this, voices of opposition have grown louder, especially from high-ranking politicians who were once allies of the APC.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who finished second in the 2023 presidential race with nearly seven million votes, has repeated his commitment to building a strong opposition for the 2027 elections.
Other political figures like former Attorney General Abubakar Malami and former SGF Babachir Lawal have also voiced dissatisfaction with the current administration.
One of the most notable moves came from former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, who recently cut ties with the APC, joined the Social Democratic Party, and openly criticized the Tinubu-led government.
He has since called on others who share his concerns to unite and work toward removing APC from power in the next election cycle.
