2027: PDP, ADC leaders in crucial talks
By Ndukaku Ihe
The intrigues trailing the 2027 general elections continued on Wednesday with key opposition leaders across parties meeting to forge a common front ahead of the polls.
AbeyaNews learned that the leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by the Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, met behind closed doors, with the Senator David Mark-led National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The meeting, which lasted about three hours held at Mark’s Apo residence, has fueled speculations of an imminent alignment between the two political blocs.
Leaders of the PDP present at the meeting included the national Chairman, Tanimu Turaki, former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, PDP National Secretary, Taofeeq Arapaja; ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, and PDP National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong.
Also in attendance were the chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Senator Adolphus Wabara, the secretary of the board, Babangida Aliyu among others.
From the PDP bloc also came Chairman of the defunct PDP faction, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and factional Board of Trustees (BoT) Chairman, Adolphus Wabara, alongside other party chieftains.
While the ADC team was led by Mark, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra governor, Peter Obi, Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, Rotimi Amaechi, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal, former governors of Rivers, Kano and Tambuwal.
Makinde, while addressing journalists, at the end of the meeting, said the PDP leaders were at Mark’s residence on a solidarity visit to the ADC leadership over its recent ordeal with the Independent National Electoral Commission.
However, the Oyo State governor was not forthcoming on whether the meeting was to explore the possibility of a collaboration with the ADC in next year’s election.
Key opposition leaders have been protesting alleged plots to shrink the political space, following the derecognition of the Mark-led ADC NWC by the electoral umpire.
Last week, INEC delisted ADC leadership from its portal, citing an order by the Court of Appeal over a dispute in the leadership of the opposition party.
A former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, Nafiu Bala, has been laying claim to the leadership of the party despite the emergence of the Mark-led NWC.
In the same vein, the PDP has been polarized with members split between the Turaki-led NWC, which is supported by Governor Makinde, and the bloc loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, which is led by the Abdulraham Mohammed NWC.
The PDP became factionalised after the immediate NWC led by Umar Damagum held a national convention, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, last November, where Turaki emerged the National chairman.
Immediately after the Ibadan convention, loyalists of the FCT Minister set up a 13 man caretaker committee headed by Abdulraham Mohammed to pilot the affairs of the opposition party pending the conduct of a fresh convention.
Last month, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on March 9 nullified the Ibadan convention. After the judgement, there were efforts to reconcile the two blocs.
However, the reconciliation moves did not succeed as the Wike camp held its own convention, in Abuja, last week, to elect new NWC members, while the Turaki-led NWC had taken its case to the Supreme Court.
