Representatives of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde have held a series of meetings and reached compromises in negotiations for a possible alliance against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
Findings by Sunday PUNCH revealed that the discussions between the former Vice-President and the governor are distinct from broader consultations among opposition leaders seeking to field a common presidential candidate against Tinubu.
Makinde, who is the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, has been a vocal critic of Tinubu’s administration and has supported efforts by opposition leaders to unseat the President.
On April 25 this year, Makinde convened an opposition summit at the Government House in Ibadan, where political leaders mooted the idea of presenting a single presidential candidate against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
However, the initiative has yet to yield an agreement, as Atiku, Makinde and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, have maintained their presidential ambitions.
Makinde, however, confirmed on Friday that he was holding discussions with opposition leaders, including Atiku and Obi.
Speaking in an interview on Arise News, the governor said consultations were ongoing and that their outcome could determine whether the politicians would contest against one another or work together in the 2027 election.
“Depending on what we see between now and the election time, we may be rivals; we may be collaborators. One may be the client of the other,” he said.
Sunday PUNCH gathered from both Atiku and Makinde’s camps that the possibility of the two politicians working together was high.
Top politicians familiar with the discussions said representatives of both camps had held a series of meetings and were making progress towards an agreement.
A leader of the ADC in the South-West, who spoke to Sunday PUNCH on condition of anonymity, expressed optimism that the alliance talks between the former vice-president and the governor would succeed.
He described the discussions as fresh, purposeful and promising, adding that both politicians would soon formally unveil their plans.
Asked when the proposed alliance would be made public, the chieftain jokingly replied, “before January 16,” accompanied by a laughing emoji in a text message.
Similarly, an APM candidate familiar with Makinde’s political movement told Sunday PUNCH that the governor would work with Atiku in the 2027 presidential election.
He said there were strong indications that the proposed alliance was taking shape following a series of meetings between representatives of both camps.
“The available information is that the Atiku and Makinde alliance is very possible, and it is taking shape. A series of meetings, both virtual and physical, have been held in the last few weeks, and they are fruitful.
“What is on the ground shows that both parties have reached compromises and they are going to unveil that very soon,” he said.
The Oyo State Commissioner for Information, Dotun Oyelade, also confirmed that discussions were ongoing between Makinde and other opposition leaders, although he did not specifically confirm an agreement between the governor and Atiku.
Makinde warns against religious division
He described those involved in the consultations as seasoned politicians “who know the vagaries of contemporary politics, especially as they relate to the Tinubu issues.”
Oyelade said Makinde was open to working with other opposition leaders if the arrangement offered a realistic opportunity to address the country’s challenges.
The commissioner stated, “As far as Governor Seyi Makinde is concerned, he is not averse to working directly with other opposition tendencies as long as there’s light at the end of the tunnel to end the unequalled sufferings of the masses, because he believes that the level of renewed poverty is absolutely needless.”
None of the sources, however, disclosed the specific terms of the negotiations or the proposed structure of the alliance, including how the parties might resolve questions surrounding the presidential ticket.
The ADC also confirmed that opposition parties were still engaged in consultations towards possible collaboration to challenge the ruling APC in 2027.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, told Sunday PUNCH that the discussions were not limited to any particular opposition figure or party.
“All opposition parties are still talking. And it’s never too late,” he wrote in a WhatsApp message to our correspondent.
Similarly, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku, Phrank Shaibu, confirmed that the former vice-president was engaging with opposition leaders.
He said the consultations were aimed at building a common front to address the country’s challenges and offer Nigerians an alternative to the current administration.
“We are engaging with leaders across the opposition in the shared interest of Nigeria. Together, we will do everything necessary to restore responsible leadership, make life affordable for Nigerians and put our country back on the right path,” he said.
Neither Abdullahi nor Shaibu confirmed a specific agreement between Atiku’s and Makinde’s camps.
With the presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027, opposition leaders face the challenge of reconciling their political interests, agreeing on a common strategy and possibly settling for a consensus candidate capable of mounting a serious challenge to Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Although the discussions have yet to produce a publicly announced agreement, the latest disclosures suggest that consultations among major opposition figures are gathering momentum.
Sunday PUNCH notes that G-100, a political pressure group convened by former Director-General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman, was established to facilitate a broad-based opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general election.
The group’s central argument is that opposition parties would struggle to dislodge the APC if they contested the election independently, particularly given the ruling party’s political structures and electoral advantages.
The group has held consultations with Atiku, Obi and Makinde, among other political figures, in a bid to build consensus around a common platform and a single presidential candidate.
However, its efforts have faced growing doubts as opposition politicians continue to pursue individual political ambitions and campaign activities, with little indication of an imminent agreement on a common candidate.
Receive Alerts On:
Facebook: METRODAILYNG Twitter: @METRODAILYNG
REACH THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME WITH METRO DAILY NIGERIA. ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS TO USERS ONLINE TODAY. KINDLY CONTACT US FOR YOUR ADVERTS OR PUBLICATIONS AT INFO@METRODAILYNG.COM