PUNCH
As the move to form a coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027 intensifies, Sunday PUNCH has learnt that the ambition of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and zoning dispute are stalling negotiations among political leaders.
A reliable source involved in the coalition discussions revealed that the camps of 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi; and former Rivers State Governor, Rotimi Amaechi, were demanding that power should stay in the South for eight years.
The source revealed that the delay in negotiations was due to uncertainty surrounding whether Atiku would run.
According to him, the participants in the coalition drive, particularly from the South, were hesitant to fully engage in the discussions to avoid jeopardising their ambitions and zones.
Why talks stalled
Our source disclosed that negotiations were stalled because the key figures in the coalition discussions intended to run in the 2027 election.
He stated, “What I can tell you is that quite a lot of people are involved in the coalition. However, they fear zoning. You know that Obi and Amaechi are very much interested in replacing Tinubu, so their camps want power to remain in the South.
“Meanwhile, the Atiku camp is also pushing for the former Vice President to take another shot at the presidency in 2027. So, largely, the zoning issue and Atiku’s uncertain position on 2027 are stalling the negotiations.
“The southerners who want to replace Tinubu are afraid to get involved without knowing Atiku’s stance. If they get involved and, in the future, the coalition declares the race open to all, and Atiku grabs it like he did in 2019 and 2023 in the PDP, most of them would jeopardise their ambitions and potentially shortchange their region.
“This is why many are not participating openly or attending the meetings, like at the last press conference. So, that’s the situation. It’s one thing to agree on a coalition, as they have all agreed on the need for opposition political parties or their leaders to come together. But without clarifying whether they support another Southerner taking over from Tinubu (zoning), the discussion will remain unresolved. It may even give a few leaders reasons not to participate.”
Speaking on this, the National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties, Peter Ahmeh, and a close ally of Obi confirmed the camp’s position, stating that stakeholders should support a Southern candidate to run in 2027.