Coalition: Atiku Replies PDP Governors

<h4>Coalition<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p><strong><a href&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;openlife&period;ng&sol;">OpenLife Nigeria<&sol;a><&sol;strong> reports that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has replied Peoples Democratic Party&comma; PDP governors who rose from a meeting in Ibadan and declared non alignment of the party with any coalition ahead the 2027 presidential contest&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>On March 20&comma; the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party&comma; announced the formation of a Coalition of Opposition Political Parties to oust President Bola Tinubu in 2027&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Adamawa State born politician confirmed this while responding to a question on behalf of the opposition leaders at a press conference at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>He said&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;<em><strong>Yes&comma; this is the birth of the coalition of opposition ahead of 2027&period;”<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>However&comma; on April 24&comma; PDP governors unanimously resolved not to join any coalition or merger as the 2027 elections approach&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The Governors made this known at its Forum meeting&comma; which held in Ibadan&comma; Oyo State and attended by key governors&comma; including Bala Mohammed of Bauchi&comma; Peter Mbah of Enugu&comma; Agbu Kefas of Taraba&comma; Dauda Lawal of Zamfara&comma; Seyi Makinde of Oyo&comma; Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau&comma; Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa&comma; Ademola Adeleke of Osun&comma; and Douye Diri of Bayelsa&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom were represented by their deputies&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>In a communiqué read by the Governor of Bauchi State and the forum’s Chairman&comma; Bala Mohammed&comma; the forum noted the &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;nationwide speculations about possible mergers of parties&comma; groups&comma; and&sol;or associations” and resolved that &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;the Forum will not join any coalition or merger&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Reacting during a meeting on April 15&comma; Atiku clarified the coalition&comma; stating that it is unstoppable&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Atiku said&colon;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Yesterday&comma; I met with a delegation of two groups&comma; during which I briefed them about the status of the pan-Nigerian coalition that I am building in conjunction with other leaders and stakeholders across political divides and regions&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>I informed them that the Nigerian Movement is being powered by Nigerians desirous of reclaiming and rebuilding their country from across the nooks and crannies of our country&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>Indeed&comma; the Coalition Train has left the station and would have multiple stops to bring on board Nigerians of all shades&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>First was the meeting with a delegation of the Peoples Democratic Party &lpar;PDP&rpar; from Nasarawa State&comma; led by Alhaji Jibirin Sabo Keana&period; <&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;<p><em><strong>The second was a delegation of National Opinion leaders&comma; led by Hon&period; Yusuf Sheriff Banki&period; -AA<&sol;strong><&sol;em><&sol;p>&NewLine;