The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Action Democratic Party (ADP), and Action Alliance (AA) have indicated readiness to partner, ahead of the 2027 general elections to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to them, this is in view of what they described as the ruling party’s plan to use the proviso in the new Electoral Act to compromise the integrity of the polls, reports Daily Independent.
Recall that President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) into law, amid controversy over whether election results should be transmitted live from polling units, saying that the credibility of elections depends more on proper management and human oversight than on real-time electronic transmission of results.
Speaking to our correspondent, Comrade Ini Ememobong, National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, noted that plans are on the way for a possible collaboration with other opposition parties to frustrate the efforts of the APC.
He said, “The recent developments surrounding the Electoral Act Amendment is an unambiguous confirmation of the cling-unto-power-at-all-cost disposition of the APC-led Federal Government. They have shown that they will stop at nothing to remain in power, including arranging flawed elections with predetermined results.
“Having reached this unmistakable conclusion, the opposition has no option than to cooperate in a way and manner not seen or anticipated before within our jurisdiction— we must blur the subset lines of party nomenclature and recognise the larger shared boundaries, as opposition parties, whose sole aim is to provide a better alternative to the ruling party and to upstage them at elections.
“We’re already discussing amongst ourselves on the imperative of collaboration and in fact, you can recall that PDP, ADC, and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) issued a joint statement on this Electoral Act. Our leaders know that an all-opposition challenge is the inevitable way to defeat this ruining administration. They’ll certainly discuss the details of how that collaboration will work.”
On his part, Sani Yabagi, ADP National Chairman, voted for collaboration, saying that the process of recruitment of leadership is germane to the progress of a country.
He told our correspondent that the opposition must find a way to come together, not only the opposition but Nigerians to fight the ruling party which is determined to bring the country backward.
Yabagi said, “This is not about 2027, it’s about the future of Nigeria as a country. The process of recruitment of leadership is germane to the progress of a country. We all take the weight of the damage that has been done to the credibility of our election. In order to ensure that our elections remain doubtful, which means the ruling party wants to continue because they have the wherewithal to manipulate the process. If you’re looking at the law of the land, and the fact that all of us are subject to obey the law, the only thing remaining for us is to find a way by which the opposition can come together, not only the opposition but Nigerians can come together to fight this plan by the ruling party to continue to bring our country backward.”
He, however, lamented the lack of commitment to the course of this country by many politicians.
“You’ll see it happen with the governance. They were elected by the people. They swore they’re going to protect the interest of their people and the country, which is part of the constitution of the country, but what do you see them doing now? They know that this government is not for the masses, but they have all moved into that camp, they abandoned their oath of office, meaning abandoning the people.
“If they are there to help the people they don’t need to leave the parties they were before but because most of the politicians you have in this country, they are fair weather politicians. They are there to give lip service to the people but when it comes to really standing up for the people you don’t find them.
“You find them as compromised individuals, some of them will tell you that they are there 100 percent but they are not. Party leaders like myself are there, the question is are we really working for the progress of this country? From the National Assembly to the governors, are they working for the people? They were all elected to serve the people, however, at the level of the National Assembly who were elected to represent the interest of the people, they turned around after they had gone round to sample the views of citizens on the Electoral Act.
“They were told in unmistakable terms that they don’t want to continue with the process of discretionary responsibility to INEC, they want the digital transmission through the devices that we spent billions of naira to acquire so that everybody can go to the portal and see the results, but that didn’t happen.”
Chief Kenneth Udeze, National Chairman of Action Alliance (AA), told our correspondent that the only option left for the preservation of the democracy is coalition of opposition parties, with the support of Nigerians.
He said, “And one other quite serious area that Nigerians can make it work is that staying in the polling unit, voting and making sure that whoever the presiding officer is, must transmit the result before leaving the polling unit. Otherwise, they will hold the person down there until that result is being transmitted.
“Except we have an opposition leader who is ready to play the ball. Opposition can come together and bring in their votes. Thank God that they have passed the electronic transmission into law. At least there’s something to hold on to.
“Nigeria is a country that wants to conquer everybody. But we’ll refuse to be conquered. We keep talking and believing that if truly the oppositions are willing to come together, we will achieve the result.”
He expressed concern that amid all the protests against the proviso introduced by the National Assembly, the president hastily signed the amendment bill into law.
“Honestly, having pushed what we pushed, the government in power decided to take the decision they took, and the president hastily assented to it. Just because they know that the loophole they have created is the loophole most likely they are going to use to rig elections. So talking about the opposition party coming together. Yes, the opposition parties can come together to push out this present government.”
Comrade Eragbe Anslem, Labour Party National Youth Leader, in a chat with our correspondent, reiterated the importance of the opposition parties coming together at this critical time and being committed to the agenda of rescuing Nigeria, not necessarily promoting their personal ambitions.
According to him, the older politicians should take a back stage and give room to younger people, stressing that there is no geo-political region where you cannot find competent people who can be supported to lead at the national level.
