The Spokesman for Ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe has confirmed ongoing discussions between his principal and other prominent opposition leaders, including Peter Obi and Nasir El-Rufai, about forming a coalition ahead of the 2027 election.
He said this on Thursday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“Well, you and I know that there have been ongoing discussions between Atiku Abubakar and some opposition leaders: Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai,” Ibe said on the show.
“Yes, it’s out there in the open. Discussion is still ongoing, and at the end of that discussion, they will come out with a position and the direction that we’re going to follow based on the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians, ” he added.
In 2019, Atiku and Obi contested under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the presidential election. The ex-vice president was the party’s candidate then.
Although they lost the election to Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), there have been speculations that both heavyweights will fly the same ticket in the next presidential election.
When asked if both men would be on the same ticket, Ibe said, “What I’m saying, in effect, is that that ticket was viable in 2019, and it’s still viable today.
“But it is left to the individuals to be able to come to a determination as to how they proceed. So, let us not go ahead of them. They are talking,” Ibe said.
El-Rufai, who was a two-time governor of Kaduna State under the APC, left the party earlier in the year, citing several personal and political reasons. He teamed up with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), a platform many touted to host the coalition.
Obi, the Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has, however, downplayed talks about joining a coalition.
The former Anambra governor insists he is interested in a coalition against poverty and other vices affecting Nigeria.
The talks is aimed at uniting opposition leaders against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Ibe noted that a coalition ticket featuring Atiku and Obi was viable in 2019 and remained.
