Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has unveiled plans for a grand political coalition involving the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Labour Party (LP) aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
Atiku made the announcement on Thursday during a meeting in Abuja with a delegation of stakeholders from Kogi East Senatorial Zone, led by former Kogi State Deputy Governor, Simon Achuba.
Describing Tinubu’s government as “incompetent and inefficient,” Atiku said Nigeria could no longer afford another four years of what he called “policy paralysis and weak leadership.”
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“The 2023 election showed us that fragmentation only strengthens the ruling party,” Atiku said. “In 2027, we must not repeat the same error. This coalition is not about personal ambition—it is about saving Nigeria.”
Addressing insecurity in the North, Atiku recalled how, as Vice President, he advised then-President Olusegun Obasanjo to take swift action against the early stages of Boko Haram in 2002.
“Let me remind you,” he said, “when Boko Haram emerged in Yobe, the President asked me what we should do. I said summon the service chiefs and issue them a clear ultimatum. If they fail, they resign. That’s how we crushed it then.”
He accused the current administration of lacking the same willpower. “How can leaders remain unmoved while their people are being slaughtered? It is the height of irresponsibility,” he added.
Atiku also proposed a bold security initiative: recruiting unemployed graduates into the Nigeria Police to address the manpower shortage. “We are grossly under-policed. Instead of leaving our youth jobless, let’s channel them into serving their country,” he said.
On political strategy, he declared, “We are building a coalition involving all major parties—the APC, PDP, and Labour Party. I am speaking to everyone who believes Nigeria must not fail.”
Simon Achuba backed Atiku’s stance, lamenting the destruction of northern communities by bandits and insurgents. “When the federal government abandons its duty to protect lives and property, northern leaders must rise to the occasion,” Achuba said. “We must begin the process of internal healing, and it starts with unity.”
