The top sociocultural group in Nigeria, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has requested Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to step down from politics and help Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, form an alliance with Rabiu Kwankwaso, the candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.
According to Ohanaeze, this realignment would increase the opposition’s prospects of winning the 2027 presidential election.
The body issued a warning, stating that realignment would be necessary if President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared his intention in running for office in 2027.
Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the Ohanaeze faction’s secretary-general, stated that “Obi did not contest the 2023 elections solely as an Igbo man or on Igbo platforms.” Instead, his vision of a thriving Nigeria that transcends ethnic boundaries served as the driving force behind his campaign.
The highest Igbo culture group advised Obi to look past 2023 and toward 2027 in a statement that Isiguzoro signed.
According to the statement, President Tinubu was pronounced the legitimate victor of the 2023 presidential election by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT), and Obi accepted the ruling of the Supreme Court against his appeal. This is acknowledged by Ohanaeze Ndigbo.
Mr. Obi has gained the respect and admiration of Nigerians from all political backgrounds, especially those affiliated with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Through his actions, he has subtly congratulated President Tinubu and kept his followers from being wrongly called anarchists.
Looking ahead, Ohanaeze Ndigbo believes that should President Tinubu announce his intention to run for reelection in 2027, the opposition parties will have a difficult task ahead of them. Unless the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party, and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) come together and establish a powerful political alliance, they would have a difficult struggle.
“We urge former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to step down from active politics at this pivotal moment and assume the mantle of a statesman, endorsing Mr. Obi and Mr. Kwankwaso as the new faces of the opposition. In 2027, such a realignment would greatly strengthen the opposition’s political prospects.
