Abuja
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai Seal Opposition Deal Ahead Of 2027 Elections
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai Seal Opposition Deal Ahead Of 2027 Elections
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai seal opposition deal ahead of 2027 elections. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai have reportedly concluded months of negotiations aimed at forging a united opposition front to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next general election in 2027.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the three opposition heavyweights reached a consensus on Tuesday to consolidate efforts under a single political platform, although the agreement has not been officially announced.
The alliance marks a mending of political fences between the former rivals, whose division before the 2023 presidential election was widely viewed as a major contributor to President Tinubu’s victory. Collectively, Atiku and Obi secured significantly more votes than Tinubu’s 8.7 million, indicating that a united opposition could present a formidable challenge in the 2027 race.
The deal will see them rally under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a lesser-known party, Bloomberg reported on Wednesday.
The development coincides with a recent remark by the Chairman of ADC’s Board of Trustees, BoT, Mani Ahmed, who said a deal is close.
“I can categorically inform you that the African Democratic Congress is the coalition party in Nigeria. What remains is merely dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s,” he said at a press conference.
Spokespersons for both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party acknowledged their candidates’ involvement in coalition talks but clarified that there are no ongoing discussions to merge the parties themselves. The Social Democratic Party (SDP), with which El-Rufai is a member, did not offer comment.
A major challenge for the new alliance is deciding who will run for president. Nigeria’s informal tradition of rotating power between the North and South complicate things, as Atiku, a northerner, may struggle to gain support from southern voters who strongly backed Obi, a leading figure from the South-East in 2023.
Atiku, Obi, El-Rufai
The opposition is plagued with internal divisions. The PDP, to which Atiku currently belongs, is currently locked in a three-way leadership tussle involving Atiku’s camp, supporters of Nyesom Wike—now a minister in Tinubu’s cabinet—and a bloc loyal to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed.
On the other hand, the Labour Party faces its own internal crisis. Party chairman Julius Abure has clashed with Peter Obi over control of the party, leading to the suspension of several of Obi’s allies and weakening the party.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu’s policies have drawn heavy criticism as Nigerians grapple with rising prices, a weaker naira, and a worsening cost-of-living crisis. His decision to remove fuel subsidies and merge exchange rates, allegedly without clear plans to ease the impact, has pushed millions deeper into hardship. These economic struggles have strengthened the opposition’s determination to remove the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.
Obi, Amaechi, Others Meet In Abuja, Discuss Nigeria’s Democratic Future
Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, on Saturday hosted Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and other opposition leaders at his Abuja residence.
Victor Umeh, senator representing Anambra central, Achike Udenwa, former governor of Anambra; and Victor Oganku were also at the meeting.
TheCable understands that discussions by the politicians centred on strengthening the opposition front and Nigeria’s democratic future.
Amaechi, Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar are members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and are eyeing the party’s presidential ticket ahead of the 2027 elections.
The former minister contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential primary and came second behind President Bola Tinubu, who won the party’s ticket.
In March, Bolaji Abdullahi, national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the party was working to adopt a consensus approach in selecting its presidential candidate for the 2027 poll.
Abdullahi said the party had the options of direct primaries and consensus for electing its presidential candidate, adding that indirect primaries were “no longer on the table”, as stipulated in the amended Electoral Act.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Friday, Amaechi said he has positioned himself as a viable contender for the next presidential race on the ADC platform.
Amaechi rejected the call for a consensus arrangement within the ADC ahead of the 2027 poll, insisting that aspirants must be allowed to test their popularity at the ballot.
Peter Obi
He said Nigerians are yearning for competent leadership to address economic hardship and insecurity.
The former governor of Rivers, however, said he would support Abubakar if the former vice-president emerges as the party’s standard-bearer for the 2027 presidential poll.
FG Warns Against Illegal Use Of Ambassador Title, Fake Diplomatic Identities
President Bola Tinubu-led federal government has warned against the rising abuse of diplomatic titles in Nigeria, particularly the illegal use of the designation “Ambassador” by unauthorised individuals and groups.
The warning was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, in Abuja.
“Some of the persons conferred illegally with the Ambassadorial titles unfortunately parade themselves as such in official communications and even in engagements with foreign embassies in Nigeria which has caused serious embarrassment to the federal government.
“The Ministry warns that individuals parading themselves as “Ambassadors” based on such deceitful conferment are engaging in impersonation, which is a criminal offence and therefore strongly cautions all persons involved in such illegalities or parading themselves as Ambassadors to desist forthwith,” the statement said.
The government also raised alarm over the use of fake diplomatic passports, identity cards, vehicle number plates, and other materials bearing the insignia of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by impostors.
Tinubu
According to the statement, some of those involved in the practice go as far as parading themselves as ambassadors in official correspondence and in dealings with foreign missions in Nigeria, a development it said has embarrassed the country.
It, however, stressed that only the president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces has the constitutional authority to appoint and accredit ambassadors for Nigeria, adding that no individual, group, or organisation has the power to confer diplomatic titles.
NPF Debunks False Terror Alert In FCT, Arrests Suspect For Incitement
False terror alert in FCT,. The Nigeria Police Force wishes to categorically debunk a viral video circulating on social media alleging an ongoing terrorist attack in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Force states unequivocally that no such incident occurred, and the claims contained in the video are entirely false, misleading, and malicious.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the video was deliberately curated using misleading footage sourced from online platforms to construct a false narrative aimed at causing panic, inciting public fear, and undermining public confidence in the security architecture of the nation’s capital.
In furtherance of its commitment to maintaining public order, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested one Pam Joseph in connection with the creation and dissemination of the false content. The arrest followed credible intelligence and digital forensic investigations linking the suspect to the origin and circulation of the video.
The Force reiterates that while citizens have the right to freedom of expression, such rights do not extend to the deliberate spread of misinformation capable of threatening public peace and national security. Members of the public are therefore advised to verify information before sharing and to refrain from engaging in activities that may incite fear or disorder.
Police
The suspect is currently in custody and will be charged to court upon the conclusion of investigations.
The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to safeguarding public order and national security, and will continue to monitor digital spaces and take decisive action against individuals who engage in the dissemination of false or misleading information.
DCP ANTHONY OKON PLACID psc(+) mni
Force Public Relations Officer
Force Headquarters, Abuja
10th April, 2026
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