By Hamilton Nwosa and Abiola Olawale
A massive gathering of coalition political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Presidential Candidate of Labour Party, Peter Obi, former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Imo State, Achike Udenwa, former military governor of old Bendel State, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, former governor of Kogi State, Captain Idris Wada, Vice Presidential candidate to Peter Obi in 2023 presidential polls, Datti Baba-Ahmed, former foreign Affairs minister, Aminu Wali, top Northern political figures , amongst others are currently holding a crucial meeting in Abuja.
The meeting which is currently being held under the framework of National Political Consultative Group(North), at the Abuja Continental Hotel is deliberating on forming a broad based political movement aimed at defeating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2023 presidential elections. This meeting, as earlier EXCLUISVELY reported by The New Diplomat last Friday is scheduled to formalize a list of political bigwigs who will form the arrowheads of the emerging coalition in each state of the 36 states of the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The New Diplomat checks, however, reveal that today’s meeting might focus largely on the North with each state of the North submitting about 40-100 names of political heavy-weights that would serve as arrowheads and coordinate the coalition in each of the Northern state while discussions on viable coalition platform they would all fuse into is still on-going.
The New Diplomat’s checks show that apart from some of the above personalities who are known figures, some prominent old political allies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who are said to be citing unhappy political developments especially in the North and the current state of the economy, are said to have shockingly pitched their tents with the opposition, and are indeed present at this on-going crucial meeting.
The closed-door meeting is also expected to weigh various political options, including mopping up smaller grassroots political parties, and strengthening international pressures ” to ensure the 2027 election is free, fair and transparent. ”Also believed to be on the agenda of the meeting is how to explore ways to harmonize various interests, ideological positions and regional interests into a the emerging formidable coalition.
The meeting is coming on the heels of the solid endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu last Thursday by the APC as its sole presidential candidate. The move, according to many, might have weakened the spirit of the opposition and potentially have far- reaching political implications on the race towards 2027.
However, it would be recalled that the Shekarau-led League of Northern Democrats (LND) recently declared support for the national opposition coalition in its bid to scale-up support to challenge Tinubu in the 2027 presidential polls.
In a communique issued at the end of the LND’s general assembly meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, Umar Ardo, the convener, said the league would take a final decision on whether it would fuse into an existing political party or register a new one.
“We resolved to contribute to the dialogue on either registering a new political party or fusing into an existing one. We resolved that our first option is to register a new party to accommodate many independent members of the larger established political parties who currently feel reluctant to move into a smaller party but who are willing to move out to form a new party,” the group said.
