Yan Nigeria
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have dismissed recent endorsements for President Bola Tinubu by governors and stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Naija News reports that they labelled them as signs of panic and desperation ahead of the 2027 elections. The opposition leaders remain confident that their coalition will defeat the ruling party.
The Media Adviser to Atiku, Paul Ibe, expressed firm belief in the coalition’s ability to challenge and win the 2027 general elections, irrespective of the endorsements received by Tinubu.
According to Vanguard, Ibe likened the coalition’s stance to that of a student who has prepared diligently for an exam, asserting that the coalition is undeterred by political manoeuvrings.
“When you’ve prepared diligently for an exam, you can sleep soundly the night before, waking up assured of success. That’s the position of our coalition,” Ibe said.
He added that the true judges of the 2027 election will be the Nigerian people, not the political games of the ruling party.
Ibe further stated, “The recent endorsements reveal the panicked state of this administration. Insecurity is at an unprecedented level, with insurgents reclaiming territories in Borno State and other regions. The cost of living is unbearable, and families are struggling to meet basic needs. Yet, the government has done little to address these critical issues, choosing instead to focus on political games.”
He also accused Tinubu’s administration of leveraging anti-corruption agencies to coerce opposition politicians into defecting to the APC, claiming that many of these defections were not ideologically driven but were instead a result of political pressure.
Ibe alleged, “These defections are not driven by ideology or preference for the APC. Politicians are being held hostage and coerced into joining the ruling party. Some are being targeted for corruption by both former governors and the current administration, forced to pay a ransom that manifests as defections.
“This is happening in Delta State and elsewhere, with the so-called ‘quiet bomb’ being used as leverage to pressure defectors.”
PDP Denies Crisis, Criticises Endorsements
The National Organizing Secretary of the PDP, Umar Bature, also weighed in on the matter, stating that endorsements do not guarantee electoral success.
He recalled that in 2014, despite receiving the endorsements of 21 governors, former President Goodluck Jonathan still lost the election.
Bature said, “Tinubu has 22 endorsements. There’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a matter of time. The issue isn’t endorsement; the issue is whether you’ve done the right thing for the country. Endorsements are merely cosmetic. People resort to them when they know they’re not serving the interests of the people they claim to represent.
“There is no crisis. Members are simply expressing their views. If they say they want to leave the party, time will tell. These matters will resolve themselves.”
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