Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and other coalition leaders have gathered to secure the backing of some northern leaders in their campaign to unseat President Bola Tinubu.
The conference, sponsored by the National Political Consultative Group (North), took place behind closed doors on Sunday at the Abuja Continental Hotel.
On March 20, Atiku, Obi, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and others in Abuja announced the establishment of a coalition geared at opposing President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The declaration triggered extensive debate regarding the chances for opposition unity, with political stakeholders voicing differing views.
Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Adolphus Wabara, Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees; and Abubakar Malami, SAN, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, were among those in attendance.
Other attendees were Peter Ahmeh, National Secretary of the Coalition for United Political Parties; Kashim Ibrahim-Imam; and Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the 2023 Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate.
The meeting began shortly after 3 p.m. and ended around 7 p.m., with all conveners and participants declining to make any comments.
Our correspondent, who was able to get entrance to the conference venue, claimed that representatives from various states, mainly the 19 northern states, discussed the current status of the country.
Chronicle NG gathered that the conversations centred on subjects including security, national unity, and the importance of competent leadership in ensuring successful government.
However, almost two hours into the convention, mayhem broke out when delegates from Jigawa State disrupted the proceedings.
Tensions flared when Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, named a delegate to represent the state.
In response, numerous Jigawa delegates seized the platform, preventing the delegate from speaking and claiming that the identified individuals would not represent them.
As the dispute heated up, security officers, including members of the Nigerian Police, DSS, and private guards, swiftly erected a protective barrier around prominent players including Atiku, Amaechi, and others.
Following many minutes of appeals, Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido, and another delegate were chosen to speak on the state’s behalf.
A reliable source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to a lack of authorisation to speak publicly, told our correspondent that northern political leaders met to discuss what they described as the country’s worsening issues of poverty, insecurity, and hunger, particularly in northern Nigeria under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The source said, “Obi and Amaechi, in their brief remarks, stated that President Tinubu’s administration is driving the North deeper into poverty, which is worsening the region’s insecurity.
“Ahead of 2027, they urged northern leaders to wake up and unite to rescue the region from Tinubu’s harsh economic policies. They called for northern unity and support for an alternative government.
“In their remarks as well, Atiku and Malami also blamed the Tinubu administration for many of the challenges facing the North. They encouraged stakeholders to support the ongoing efforts to unseat Tinubu in 2027.
“During the technical session of the meeting, stakeholders from various states strongly agreed that the North must fully support the ongoing coalition of opposition parties.
“They agreed to set up four committees to look at all the issues. So, they will issue a communique tomorrow (today).”
Speaking about the purpose of the meeting, the National Secretary of the CUPP, who was in attendance, said it was aimed at reviewing the current situation in the region.
He explained that the coalition leaders took time to address the economic, security, and other pressing challenges facing northerners under the Tinubu administration.
He stated, “It is just a consultative meeting on the issues affecting the north. So, we discussed them and came up with solutions. Details will be made public tomorrow (today).”
