Major opposition candidates in the last presidential polls, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Rabiu Kwankwaso of the NNPP and Peter Obi of the LP are rumoured to be planning a merger that is aimed at unseating the All Progressives Congress (APC) led government.
According to THISDAY, the arrangement between the trio started with the one between Atiku, the presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Kwankwaso, who was the presidential candidate of New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at the last presidential election.
The publication reported that with the success of the first part of the alignment, another one was planned between Obi, the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) and other critical elements in PDP, with similar success, after the duo of Atiku and Kwankwanso agreed to bring him in.
It was reported that the trio are waiting to see the outcome of the election petitions in court, to determine the next step to take.
Sources privy to some of the arrangements said Atiku, Kwanwaso and Obi were hopeful that the presidential election tribunal would be “just and fair” enough to declare null and void the February 25 polls.
They hoped that the Presidential Election Petition Court would advocate for a re-election or rerun, where they would merge for the election and challenge President Tinubu and the APC in the election.
In the event there was no rerun and President Tinubu wins in court, the three frontline opposition members were said to be considering setting up a formidable party ahead of the 2027 general election to challenge the incumbent.
According to the source who spoke to THISDAY:
“The meeting started with Kwankwaso and Atiku and they have agreed to bring Peter Obi in to set up a formidable opposition after the court cases. Although they have not got to the point of discussing who will lead the opposition, they are leaving it out for now till after the court cases.
“After the court cases, they will plan and come together for a re-election or stand together ahead to fight the 2027 election battle. They are considering a formidable party comprising the PDP, Labour and NNPP.”
The proposed merger if true may be reminiscent of the 2014 merger of the defunct opposition parties (ACN, ANPP, CPC) that metamorphosed into the APC.
The party went on to upstage the then ruling party, PDP in the 2015 Presidential polls.
