By Divine Sam
As the 2027 Nigerian elections approach, opposition parties and disgruntled members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) are intensifying talks to form a large-scale coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The coalition discussions, reportedly involving key figures from various political parties such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), as well as civil society groups and APC defectors, are taking place in a bid to unseat the current government.
The growing discontent with Tinubu’s leadership, especially in the North, is fueling the urgency of the coalition talks. Some of the key players in these discussions include Olawale Okunniyi, Director General of the National Consultative Front; Ralph Okey-Nwosu, National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC); and Usman Bugaje, a prominent Northern political figure.
Okunniyi revealed that a national summit in May 2025 will be a crucial step in solidifying the coalition, which is expected to take concrete shape by July 2025. He mentioned that major figures like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are also involved in shaping the coalition’s direction, with the possibility of adopting and restructuring an existing political party, possibly the PDP, to represent the coalition.
Okey-Nwosu emphasized the widespread suffering among Nigerians under APC rule, arguing that this discontent would fuel the formation of a citizens’ movement to