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Atiku’s Coalition Responds to Defections*
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Atiku Abubakar’s coalition hits back at the Presidency over defections from PDP.
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Salihu Lukman says defections are not surprising due to PDP’s weakened state.
The opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai has responded to the defection of Delta Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, his predecessor Ifeanyi Okowa, and several prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress.
A key stakeholder of the coalition and former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the APC, Mallam Salihu Lukman, said the defections did not come as a surprise.
“The PDP is clearly a shadow of its own self,” Lukman stated.
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He added that the coalition would not be distracted by the defections and would continue to work towards forming a merger ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Lukman urged PDP governors and leaders to reconsider their stance on not joining the coalition.
“We want to correct all the mistakes and shortcomings from the Buhari administration to the Asiwaju administration. We want to restore the aspiration of Nigerians by producing leaders and a greater country we will be proud of,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Osun State chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, predicted that more people would dump PDP before the governorship poll.
READ ALSO: 2027 Election Is APC vs Nigerians, Not Opposition Parties – PDP
However, the PDP dismissed Odeyemi’s claim as “wishful thinking”.
“The only people who have left the party so far are those with parochial interests, those expecting His Excellency, Governor Ademola Adeleke to let loose and open the state vault for their personal greed,” PDP’s Director of Media and Publicity, Oladele Bamiji, said.
Former Senate President Bukola Saraki also reacted to the defections, urging PDP members to focus on rebuilding the party. “Those who want to leave the PDP should leave now and let the rest of us who want to stay concentrate on rebuilding the party and refocusing it to play the role of a viable opposition that will provide a better alternative for the good people of Nigeria,” Saraki said.
The PDP would lose my Federal Constituency in next polls – Wole Oke
In a related development, Wole Oke, the lawmaker representing Oriade/Obokun Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, who recently dumped PDP, predicted a huge electoral defeat for the PDP at the next election in the state. “PDP will not get 500 votes out of close to 9000 votes in Esa-Oke. Take that to the bank,” Oke said.
The defections have sparked a political realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, with observers noting that the opposition coalition is gearing up to present a strong challenge to the ruling APC.
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