A high-stakes opposition coalition meeting held on Sunday in Abuja descended into disorder after a group of delegates from Jigawa State disrupted proceedings, casting fresh doubt over efforts to present a unified front against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
The event, organised by the National Political Consultative Group (North) at the Abuja Continental Hotel, brought together leading political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, among others. The gathering was seen as a significant move toward consolidating opposition forces ahead of the next general election cycle.
Tensions reached a boiling point when Babachir Lawal, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, announced a delegate to speak on behalf of Jigawa State. The announcement was immediately rejected by several Jigawa delegates, who stormed the stage and forcibly stopped the appointed individual from taking the microphone.
The protesting delegates insisted that only their selected representatives could speak for Jigawa, triggering a chaotic scene that forced security personnel to step in. Officers from the Nigerian Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and private security operatives intervened swiftly, shielding prominent figures such as Atiku and Amaechi and working to contain the disruption.
Order was eventually restored when Mustapha Lamido, son of former Jigawa Governor Sule Lamido, along with another delegate, was permitted to represent the state, allowing the meeting to proceed.
The incident exposed the underlying fragility within the coalition and sparked renewed doubts about the opposition’s ability to maintain a united front. Observers have noted that despite shared dissatisfaction with the current administration, deep-seated rivalries and disagreements continue to hamper coalition-building efforts.
Adding to these internal tensions are reports suggesting that Peter Obi remains committed to contesting under the Labour Party banner in 2027, despite ongoing negotiations regarding a possible power-sharing arrangement across party lines.
Reacting to the coalition’s efforts, Senator Mudashiru Husain, a former lawmaker and staunch supporter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissed the initiative as lacking depth and coherence.
“We are witnessing familiar faces, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Babachir Lawal, gathering under one umbrella. Their goal is simple: to unseat a man whose leadership is already redefining Nigeria’s socio-economic direction,” Husain told journalists in Osogbo.
He continued, “What binds these individuals together? It is not a shared vision. It is not unity. It is not even common principles. What connects them is ambition, often personal, and in many instances, rooted in longstanding grievances.”
The episode at the Abuja meeting may serve as a cautionary tale for those hoping to build a formidable opposition ahead of 2027, underscoring the complex dynamics and competing interests at play within Nigeria’s evolving political landscape.
