Politics
Opposition Parties, Ganging-Up Against PDP?
The political storm has started building up. One can only imagine its momentum as the 2015 general elections draw closer.
Political leaders of opposition parties seem to be at their wits end going by the political under currents characteristic of early preparations for election. However, almost three years ahead of the 2015 elections, they have started strategizing to wrest power and control of governance from the ruling party at the centre.
Towards achieving this task, the opposition political parties plan to form a formidable common platform ahead of the elections. To ensure the conceptualisation of the political alliance, the leadership of the All Nigeria People Party (ANPP) has set up a 20-Man Merger Committee under the leadership of former Presidential Candidate of the National Republican Convention (NRC), Alhaji Bashir Tofa.
The former Governor of Yobe State, now a Senator, Bukar Abba Ibrahim was recently quoted as saying “ANPP would soon conclude its merger plans with other opposition political parties in order to wrestle power from the People Democratic Party (PDP) in 2015.”
According to him, “all the opposition political parties have realised their mistakes and had resolved to forge a common agenda to tackle PDP in 2015.”
On the part of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the party has already set up a strong panel under its chieftain, Chief Tom Ikimi, to hold talk with the ANPP and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on the need for merger.
The National Publicity Secretary of ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, recently said the two political parties, ACN and CPC, are going to finalise merger talks by October 2012. The party’s spokesman said the ongoing talks were not about the ACN and CPC alone, but a phenomenon that would see to the coming together of progressive forces in the country, irrespective of party affiliation, to provide a credible alternative to the ruling party at the centre.
Mohammed said “what is coming from the ACN/CPC is more than just talks, it is going to be like the Noah’s Ark because all politicians of like minds are coming together.”
In the thinking of the opposition political parties, an alliance or merger had become imperative in the chequered political development of the country now, given the fact that the PDP-led government had failed to impact the dividends of democracy on the people, and that the only way they could “kick” PDP out of governance at the centre is to come together.
But the PDP has dismissed such ongoing moves by opposition parties to form an alliance aimed at wrestling political power from the party come 2015 general elections. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metue, said the party is not threatened in any form by such an alliance since PDP remains the only truly national political party committed to the continued existence of Nigeria.
He said,” At the appropriate time, Nigerians will decide whether to entrust their great nation into the hands of regionalists, doomsday prophets and pro-anarchists or to the safe hands of the PDP’.
The party’s spokesman emphasised that PDP as a political party is the only party in Nigeria with a strong presence in all the 9,572 electoral wards, and that the party would rely on its intimidating membership as well as its credible performance to win the general elections in 2015.
Meanwhile, Nigerians are earnestly waiting to see how far the opposition parties can go with their alliance and merger plans within the context of the chequered history of irreconcilable political differences associated with political alliance and merger.
Today, one of the opposition parties, All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) is completely engrossed in leadership crisis with the party becoming rudderless based on the conflict of interests between the two elected Governors of the party.
A Public Affairs Analyst, Mr Wisdom Dike, said,” the conflicting political interests of APGA’s two elected Governors, Peter Obi of Anambra State and Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State respectively on leadership crisis within the party portends from the onset a divisive tendency for the opposition parties alliance/merger.
“The proponents of the alliance merger cannot leave out APGA in the merger plan. The two elected governors of the party are crucial for any formidable political alliance,” he noted.
On the part of the CPC formed few months to the 2011 general elections, the party is presently in a time of soul searching to overcome the crisis of leadership that arose largely from the conduct of the party’s primaries. A reflection on the history of political alliance/merger in Nigeria, however, shows that opposition political parties’ alliance/merger have always been merely cosmetic political alliance without any resultant effects.
A political scientist and lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Uyo, Dr Monday Dickson, said “political alliance/merger in Nigeria is merely a talk show, practically, Nigerians need a concrete realisation of the opposition political parties merger to challenge a ruling party and provide more dividends of democracy.”
According to him, “the political merger is a good plan, lets wait and see the outcome of the alliance among the opposition political parties.”
It will be recalled that shortly after independence, the Northern People Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigeria Congress (NCNC) formed an alliance, while the Action Group (AG) remained the opposition political party.
But before the 1964 general elections, the NPC/ NCNC alliance had irretrievably broken down, giving rise to the formation of new alliances by other political parties such as the United Progressive Grand Alliance (UPGA) and the Nigeria National Alliance (NNA).
In the UPGA were the NCNC, AG, Northern Element Progressive Union (NEPU) and the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC) led by Late Senator Joseph Talka, while the NNA had NPC and the newly formed Nigeria National Democratic Party (NNDP) led by Chief Samuel Akintola, a breakaway faction of AG.
The NNA was ideologically and politically cohesive, but UPGA was a collection of diverse ideological political leaders. The political alliance among the UPGA endured for a while because of the imperative needs for them to wrestle political power from the NNA, but the military coup of 1966 truncated everything.
Towards the 1983 general elections of the Second Republic, the opposition political parties, the United Party of Nigeria (UPN), Great Nigeria People’s Party (GNPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Nigeria People Party (NPP) formed an alliance called the Progressive Parties Alliance (PPA) to confront the then ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN).
But the greatest albatross of that alliance/merger was the irreconcilable political disagreement of who to be the common candidate of the alliance.
The problem remained unresolved and led to the disintegration of Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, Alhaji Ibrahim Waziri and Mallam Aminu Kano.
Currently, as 2015 approaches, the opposition political parties are faced with a similar chequered history of political merger/ alliance. The question thus is “can there be any difference now?”
Senator Abba Ibrahim may have aptly stated it when he said the issue of merger in the past was never done with all serious intent among the parties.
“This time around Nigerians expect cohesion.”
Philip-Wuwu Okparaji
In a statement issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Obiora Ifoh, the party said it had taken note of Mr Obi’s defection alongside some of his supporters, as well as what it called a “lacklustre speech” delivered by the former Anambra State governor at the defection event.
“We wondered what new he intends to sell to Nigerians,” the party said, adding that it was not surprised by the move, having “since September 2024, parted ways with Peter Obi and some of his blind supporters in the National Assembly.”
According to the statement, the faction said it had patiently awaited Mr Obi’s exit, describing it as a blessing.
“The party is finally liberated by this defection and as party leaders, we count it as a blessing,” the party said.
The faction further disclosed that it had previously urged Mr Obi and his supporters to leave if they were unable to work with the party leadership.
It claimed that several lawmakers had been suspended for anti-party activities and that similar action would have been taken against Mr Obi but for the intervention of “some well-meaning Nigerians.”
It also blamed its internal crisis on Mr Obi and Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, accusing them of sponsoring what it described as an insurrection against the Julius Abure-led leadership.
“The crisis we had in the Labour Party was caused by Peter Obi and the Abia State governor, Alex Otti,” the statement alleged, adding that it was surprising Dr Otti had not followed Mr Obi out of the party despite his suspension.
Reacting to Mr Obi’s defection event in Enugu, the faction claimed the gathering was largely boycotted by prominent political and traditional institutions in the South East, insisting that those present were “political spent forces who cannot win in their wards should there be an election today.”
It warned that this development signalled the failure of any future Mr Obi presidential or vice-presidential ambition, claiming he had “clearly lost the charm that had endeared him to the people prior to 2023.”
The faction also accused Mr Obi of misleading the South East during the 2023 elections, alleging that the region suffers political marginalisation under President Bola Tinubu’s administration as a result.
“He must be told that the South East lost out completely in President Ahmed Tinubu’s government because they trusted and believed in him in 2023,” the statement said, alleging disparities in ministerial appointments and infrastructure allocation to the zone.
The Abure-Led LP apologised to Nigerians for its decision in the last election.
“We gave Nigerians a candidate we thought was good for the nation in 2023, but time has since proved that we made the greatest political mistake. We plead for forgiveness from Nigerians,” the party said.
It urged Nigerians to watch out for a rebranded Labour Party, promising to present “the best prospect” capable of returning Nigeria to what it described as its “glorious days.”
steadily toward unity, justice, and shared prosperity”, he said.
Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at his country home in Ikere-Ekiti, Dr Oluyede said the development came as a shock, stressing that INEC supervised and monitored the PDP governorship primary that produced him as the party’s candidate.
According to him, INEC officials documented the process, completed all required forms, and even affirmed his candidacy in court through sworn affidavits arising from cases linked to the primary election.
He maintained that no court order or injunction currently restrains INEC from listing his name as the PDP candidate, arguing that the electoral body lacks the constitutional power to determine who emerges as a party’s nominee.
Dr Oluyede described such decisions as the exclusive responsibility of political parties, not the electoral umpire.
While playing down panic over the released list, Dr Oluyede noted that electoral processes often involve reviews and corrections.
He disclosed that he had commenced wide consultations, including engagements with PDP leadership and formal correspondence with INEC, to seek clarification on the omission and determine the next line of action.
The PDP candidate assured his supporters across Ekiti State that he would appear on the ballot, expressing confidence that the situation would be resolved in his favour.
He described attempts to exclude candidates from elections as dangerous and undemocratic, warning that such tactics undermine the people’s right to freely choose their leaders.
Dr Oluyede called on the people of Ekiti to reject any form of disenfranchisement, insisting that elections should be contests of ideas, records, and acceptance by the electorate rather than exclusionary maneuvers.
He also declared that the PDP in Ekiti had resolved its past internal crises and was now united, focused, and ready to win the forthcoming governorship election.
He urged party members and supporters to remain calm and focused, expressing optimism that, with divine grace and the will of the people, the PDP would emerge victorious at the polls.
Mr Obi spoke while formally declaring for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) at a well-attended event in Enugu on Wednesday, where he outlined what he described as a fresh roadmap for rescuing the country from its socio-economic challenges.
Addressing party members, supporters and other stakeholders, the former governor stressed that leadership must be driven by integrity and accountability, warning against the culture of double standards in public office.
“We cannot continue to deceive our people. Leadership is about telling the truth and leading by example. You cannot promise one thing in public and do another in private. That is not leadership, and that is not the change Nigeria needs”, Mr Obi said.
He maintained that genuine national rebirth would only be possible if entrenched wrongs were corrected, adding that governance must be guided by competence, discipline and a clear sense of purpose.
Mr Obi also underscored the need for fresh thinking in the nation’s political space, urging political actors to move away from recycled ideas that have failed to deliver sustainable development.
“We must come with new ideas,” he said, adding that “Nigeria’s problems are not mysterious; what has been lacking is the courage and competence to address them differently. We need a new approach that puts people first and focuses on production, not consumption.”
Calling for a broad based political collaboration, Mr Obi appealed to parties and stakeholders across ideological divides to work together in the national interest.
“This country is bigger than any party or individual. All parties must come together to change the present trend. What matters is not the platform, but the future of Nigeria and the wellbeing of its citizens”, he declared.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Mr Obi challenged aspirants seeking elective offices to ensure transparency in their credentials, warning that the era of falsified certificates was drawing to a close.
“Anyone contesting for any position in 2027 must come with genuine certificates. All the machinery is now in place to verify what is genuine and what is not. Integrity must start from the very foundation of leadership”, he stated.
Drawing lessons from international development models, Mr Obi cited Rwanda and Indonesia as examples of countries that rose from difficult beginnings to become thriving economies through disciplined leadership and sound policies.
“These countries were once behind us,” he noted, adding that “Today, they are moving ahead because they chose competent leadership, clear vision and policies that support local production and human capital development.”
He also criticised the economic policies of the present administration, particularly the continued importation of food items that can be produced locally, describing such practices as inimical to national development.
“You cannot grow an economy by killing local production. Importing food that we can produce in Nigeria destroys jobs, weakens our farmers and drains our foreign exchange. A serious country must produce what it consumes”, he argued.
The event featured renewed calls from ADC supporters for sustained engagement and mobilisation, as Mr Obi reiterated his belief that Nigeria remains redeemable if led with honesty, competence and a commitment to shared national progress.
In his remarks, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, expressed confidence in the emerging coalition, assuring Nigerians that the party would deliver good governance at all levels of administration if entrusted with power.
The gathering also witnessed the defection of several prominent politicians from different political parties across the South-East and beyond.
The motion endorsing the defection was moved by a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Chief Emeka Ihedioha, and seconded by former economic adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
Goodwill messages from notable political figures, including Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Mrs. Aisha Yesufu, Chief Sam Egwu, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, Chief Achike Udenwa, Mr Onyema Ugochukwu and Senator Gilbert Nnaji among others, further underscored the growing momentum within the ADC.