Less than one year after the last general election, some influential politicians in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may have begun talks on the formation of a mega party, the Nigerian Tribune has learnt.
The plan was the agenda of preliminary meetings held recently in Nigeria and Egypt, a North African, country by the promoters drawn across party lines, but being spearheaded by a former governor of Kaduna state.
The aim, according to those at the meeting, was to prop up the former governor, who is notorious for his radical views and disposition on national issues, as the presidential hopeful against President Bola Tinubu, in case he decides to seek a second term in office in 2027 alongside his deputy, Kashim Shettima.
Sources said those behind the mega party agreed at one of their meetings to mobilise aggrieved politicians from all the parties, as well as those accusing the current federal administration of unfair treatment of the North after the last general election.
The project is said to have the buy-in of some northern elites, “who feel that Tinubu, who they strongly backed against Atiku Abubakar; of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), on the strength of the Muslim-Muslim ticket of the APC, had left them behind”, especially in the area of appointments.
Meanwhile, there are indications that the plot may have pitched the former governor against the authorities, as the latter have reportedly received “security briefings on the meetings” held by the promoters of the emerging coalition.
The sources said some posters that were on display in parts of Abuja recently, reinforced the thinking in official quarters that the plot was real, especially following the briefing by a top official of a security agency on the former governor’s determination to work for a leadership change through the battle box in 2027.
Meanwhile, the Egypt meeting was said to be the continuation of earlier consultations held in Nigeria by the coalition leaders on “how to creatively exploit the prevalent economic situation in the country and the perceived anti-North sentiments to achieve the ultimate goal of the 2027 project.
“The meeting reportedly agreed on the need to cash in on the feeling of betrayal and belief in the North that the president is not favourably disposed to the North, reason why the Tinubu administration approved the relocation of some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos.
“For most northern elites, the growing poverty and failure of the Tinubu administration is likely to instigate restiveness which may threaten their ability to control the people,” a source claimed.
It would be recalled that the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, recently warned that leaders in the region were gradually losing control over their people, due to hunger and poverty caused by the abrupt and unplanned removal of petrol subsidy by Tinubu.
It was also gathered that one of the arrowheads of the planned party is a governorship candidate of PDP, who has been asked to reposition the PDP in his northwest state to guarantee an effective opposition to the APC.
However, a source said to achieve this, there is an ongoing effort to broker peace between the PDP ex-candidate and another party big wig, due to the latter’s uncompromising opposition to the former‘s plan to re-contest in 2027.
The source added that part of the strategies of the forces behind the proposed party is to work hard and constantly distract the Tinubu administration.
But the presidency is said to have embarked on “precautionary measures” designed to frustrate the registration of the new party.
“The Tinubu administration is certainly not like the Goodluck Jonathan administration that allowed the registration of APC which led to his defeat”, said our source.