2027: Adeyanju and Suleiman consider obstacles to Atiq merger talks
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Calls for merger by the main opposition parties in the run-up to the 2027 general election continue to receive mixed reactions.
The call came from former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Mr. Abubakar was the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the last presidential election.
While the Labor Party (LP) seems reluctant to accept this call, the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has indicated it is open to the initiative.
In 2015, former President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated then President Goodluck Jonathan, all thanks to a merger between numerous opposition parties.
Atiku believes that only the same magic can transport APCs in 2027.
“The truth of the matter is that our democracy is rapidly becoming a one-party system, but of course you know that once you become a one-party system, you should forget about democracy. We have all seen how the APC has increasingly turned Nigeria into a one-party dictatorship.
“If we do not come together to challenge what the ruling party is creating, our democracy will suffer for it and the consequences will affect generations yet to be born. “The project of defending our democracy is not a one-person undertaking,” he said.
Mulktar Suleiman, an Abuja-based communications strategist, agreed with him, saying greater consolidation among opposition parties could oust Tinubu and the APC government from power in 2027.
Suleiman told DAILY POST: Do you think we should have a multi-party system? No, but that’s where we are.
“Buhari won in 2015 only because he built a stronger opposition. A stronger opposition is a good thing because it will keep the incumbent wary. They know that a formidable force is watching them, and if they are not careful, they may definitely lose.
“On the one hand, yes, I would say that it is a good thing and it should help in terms of the quality that we need in our governance process. We know it’s going to happen, and if we’re not careful, we’ll be kicked out of power.”
Meanwhile, Daily Post reported that the merger of opposition coalitions for the 2027 presidential election may encounter some major obstacles due to the personal interests of leading candidates.
Recall that Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labor Party LP and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, rejected the move to merge with the Peoples Democratic Party PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2023 elections. . – This ultimately paved the way for Tinubu’s victory.
“One potential obstacle to a merger may be who will lead the charge.
“There will be an issue about who will be the running mate, and the last issue they will have is what to name the party.
“PDP is too famous a name to just let it go and be forgotten. This is not good for the party,” Suleiman told DAILY POST.
However, he pointed out that if a southeastern man emerges as the presidential candidate from the coalition, a strong northerner should be the vice-presidential candidate.
“Elections are a game of numbers, not emotions. Whoever gets the biggest majority wins. If they run a candidate from the South, especially the Southeast, they put a very wealthy Northern candidate as vice president. Must be acquired as a candidate.
“Who North Korea can rally around. So should we choose a merger? We should do that because we need to be strategic, not emotional about the merger.
“Beyond the credibility of the candidates and the objectivity of the process, there are also the emotions of the people who go to vote. That needs to be taken into account, that’s how the process works,” he added.
Meanwhile, Deji Adeyanju, an Abuja-based lawyer and rights activist, said Atiku’s merger call was self-serving.
He noted that the merger will not work in 2027 as Tinubu will infiltrate the opposition forces and ensure that the opposition does not unite.
Adeyanju told DAILY POST:
“He’s not making the call from a pure perspective. He’s just trying to take advantage of other key stakeholders in the opposition.
“Before making such statements, he should retire from politics first. Then people will take him seriously for making such a call, but other than that, he is a waste of time.” It’s just smart.
“They are basically dealing with someone who knows how to crush the opposition. Tinubu has no plan to keep them alive behind enemy lines.
“He’s going to get them to compromise and he’s going to get more people into the contest in 2027. The opposition should forget about 2027 because there’s no light at the end of the tunnel for anyone in the opposition. This is because it cannot be seen.
“They had an opportunity to come together in the last election, but they rejected it and allowed their egos to get in the way.
“The Atticus, Kwankwaso, Obis, and Wike of this world did not see reason when we called for unity.”
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Source: dailypost.ng