PDP member calls for opposition coalition ahead of 2027

A member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is calling for a coalition of opposition parties in Nigeria to help keep the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in check, ultimately strengthening the country’s democracy.

The former Head of the New Media Department of the PDP, Emmanuel Umeh, made this call in an interview with Radio Nigeria, where he discussed the ongoing crisis within his party.

Reflecting on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election, Umeh argued that a united opposition, supporting a single presidential candidate, could form a formidable force capable of defeating the APC in the 2027 election.

He pointed to the significant number of votes garnered by Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) as evidence that a united opposition could pave the way for victory.

On the ongoing criticisms of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by opposition parties, Umeh explained that an opposition alliance could serve as a deterrent to electoral malpractice.

“A united opposition makes it more difficult for anyone to rig elections,” he said.

Umeh also noted that the economic hardships facing Nigerians present an opportunity for an opposition’s alliance, emphasising that the current challenges could galvanise public support for a collective opposition.

Internal crisis

Addressing the internal crisis within the PDP, Umeh pointed to a lack of sanctioning of party members engaging in anti-party activities and criticised poor national leadership as key factors preventing the PDP from performing optimally.

Umeh specifically criticised key party figures, including the acting chairman of the PDP, Ambassador Umar Damagum, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, whom he accused of allowing themselves to be manipulated for personal gain, further fuelling divisions within the party.

“You cannot have a political party where members openly support another party and not be sanctioned,” Umeh stated. “Without discipline, the party will continue to crumble.”

The PDP Governors’ Forum, the party’s Board of Trustees, National Assembly Caucus, former Governors Forum, former Ministers’ Forum, and the National Working Committee (NWC) met on November 23 in Jos, Plateau State capital, where they directed the Damagum-led NWC to call for the much postponed meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) by the first week of February.

The planned deliberation, according to the PDP stakeholders, is to allow for elaborate consultations and to address the internal challenges plaguing the political party.