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As Nigeria approaches the 2027 elections, opposition leaders intensify calls for a united front to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, recent claims of a merger agreement between key opposition figures have been categorically denied.
Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) leader, Rabiu Kwankwaso, have both dismissed reports of an alliance involving themselves and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
The rumoured deal allegedly proposed a power-sharing arrangement among the trio, with Kwankwaso and Atiku alternating four-year terms, followed by Obi taking an eight-year presidency.
Kwankwaso, speaking with BBC Hausa, denied any such agreement and criticised self-declared regional leaders for attempting to impose candidates.
“Some northerners who declared themselves as the leaders of the north should allow the people to choose who they truly want as President,” he emphasised.
Similarly, Obi debunked the claims at a press conference in Abuja, stating, “There is no merger deal between me and any opposition figure.”
Nevertheless, he urged patriotic Nigerians, particularly opposition parties, to join forces in 2027 to end APC’s reign.
Labour Party Rules Out Automatic Ticket for Obi
Meanwhile, the Labour Party has clarified that Peter Obi will not receive an automatic ticket for the 2027 presidential race.
National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh, in an interview with Daily Post, stated, “No political party gives automatic tickets; all positions are up for contest.”
Obi, who was LP’s flagbearer in 2023 after defecting from the PDP, now faces a competitive selection process for the party’s nomination.
With the opposition seeking unity and the LP maintaining internal democracy, the political landscape for 2027 remains uncertain yet dynamic.