Atiku breaks silence on merger talks with Kwankwaso, others, ahead of 2027

The leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has distanced itself from coalition or merger talks with other opposition parties.

Recall that the PDP and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) reportedly formed a coalition ahead of the next general election, slated 2027, after their flagbearers, Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso lost out in the 2023 presidential election.

The seven political parties who joined the alliance, tagged the movement ‘the Coalition of Concerned Political Parties (CCPP)’.

The event happened on Wednesday, December 6, at the national secretariat of the SDP, in which leaders of the seven political parties were in attendance.

Reacting to the development, the national publicity secretary of the PDP, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, in a telephone interview with Vanguard on Thursday, December 7, denied the party's merger and coalition talks.

When asked if the party was involved in talks of forming a coalition or merger with other opposition political parties, Ologunagba said:

“The PDP is the most organised and democratic party to exist in Nigeria to this day.

“Most other parties originated from the PDP. We did not and have not entered into any negotiations, nor have we had any talks for a coalition or merger, so-called, with any political party.

“In any case, if there is to be any such discussion, it is beyond the powers of the National Working Committee NWC to do so without the express consent of the National Executive Committee NEC of our great party.“

This comes after Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the PDP in the 2023 presidential election, had last month called on the opposition parties to form an alliance and wrestle power from the ruling APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Atiku made the call when he played host to the National Executive Committee of the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC) at his residence on November 14 while warning against the possibility of the APC turning Nigeria into a one-party state.

Reacting to the call, the NNPP and the Labour Party, said that the call should be given quality consideration.