PHOTO CREDIT: Photo used in original publication credited to The Sun Nigeria / State House Press Corps
2027: Tinubu Meets APC Governors As Atiku, Obi, Makinde, Others Move To Unite Opposition

The race for the 2027 presidential election is heating up.

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the State House in Abuja, in a strategic move to consolidate the ruling party’s campaign structure.

The meeting, held under the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) shortly after 3 p.m., came shortly after a National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Kashim Shettima. Although the agenda was not made public, sources say it is part of efforts to strengthen the party’s machinery ahead of 2027.

This comes eight days after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) timetable allowed campaigns to commence, and just five days after the APC unveiled its Presidential Campaign Council. The Council has former Zamfara State Governor, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, as Director-General, and former Borno Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff, as North-East Zonal Coordinator.

The Grassroots Coalition for Change (GCC) described Sheriff’s appointment as strategic. Its National Coordinator, Bello Johnson, said Sheriff has the experience and grassroots network to deliver the North-East for Tinubu.

Meanwhile, on the opposition side, battle lines are also being drawn.

Six opposition parties have opened talks for a common front. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Donald Duke, Adewale Adebayo and other opposition leaders are set to meet on August 31 for a crucial summit aimed at forging an alliance.

The summit, convened by the G-100 group and themed “A Framework for Opposition Cooperation and Coordination,” will bring together the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

In a statement by Salihu Lukman, G-100 said the meeting is historic and will kick-start structured negotiations on how the opposition can work together without necessarily merging into one party.

According to the group, the August 31 meeting will not decide who becomes the presidential candidate of a proposed alliance. Instead, it will set up a formal architecture – including negotiating teams and five specialised working groups – to handle thorny issues like candidacy and alliance structure. The working groups will have four weeks to submit their reports.

G-100 noted: “Cooperation does not require any party to disappear into another. The first question before party leaders is not who leads the ticket. It is what we are, together, prepared to do for this country.”

Former Cross River Governor Donald Duke, who is contesting on the PRP platform, had earlier warned that a splintered opposition pulling in different directions would weaken its chances against the ruling APC.

With Tinubu and APC governors closing ranks and the opposition pushing for unity, the contest for 2027 is clearly underway.
SOURCE: The Sun Nigeria