As political maneuvering intensifies ahead of the 2027 general elections, President Bola Tinubu has dismissed the emerging coalition of opposition figures seeking to challenge his re-election bid, branding them as “political IDPs”, internally displaced politicians.
Speaking during a one-day presidential visit to Nasarawa State on Wednesday, where he inaugurated several development projects, Tinubu urged his supporters to ignore what he described as distractions from the opposition.
“Just don’t pay them any attention. They are the political IDPs. Don’t give them a home. The hope is here,” the President stated.
His comments come amid reports that notable opposition figures, including 2023 PDP presidential candidate and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, are in talks to form a united front against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
Despite the growing momentum behind this planned alliance, Tinubu downplayed the threat, suggesting the coalition would ultimately work against itself.
“They are in a coalition to unseat themselves,” he remarked.
During the visit, Tinubu also commended Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State for his strides in development, pledging continued federal support for the state’s progress.
“Sule is doing well. We will support whatever Governor Sule brings about to work harder for the prosperity and renaissance of Nasarawa State. That is what we stand for,” the President assured.
Governor Sule, in his address, urged the President to back full-scale oil and gas exploration in Obi Local Government Area, following the 2023 discovery of hydrocarbon reserves there.
“In 2023, there was an exploration well that was going on in the Obi Local Government Area of the state. There has been a discovery of hydrocarbon in excess of one billion,” he noted.
“We are asking you, Your Excellency, to ensure that they come back and drill the next exploration well, the appraisal well, and the development package so that we can start producing oil from that site,” Sule added.
He emphasized the economic potential of the discovery, stating, “We are telling you that this is the best for the country. We’ll become another Saudi Arabia if we have a deep onshore operation so that we can have integrated oil and gas facilities similar to what they have in Saudi Arabia so that we can do exploration, production, refining as well as gas and power production and be able to export finished products to other countries.”
Momentum behind the opposition coalition has been building steadily.
In May, Atiku Abubakar’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, confirmed during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today that discussions were ongoing.
“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.
“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.”
Further fueling the coalition movement, a new political party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), led by a former Senate President David Mark, recently submitted its registration application to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The party is backed by the National Opposition Coalition Group (NOCG), which includes former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi.
