Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media to the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has dismissed the proposed opposition coalition spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring it “dead on arrival.”
Speaking on Arise Television on Thursday, Olayinka argued that the coalition will not succeed because of irreconcilable differences between Atiku and Labour Party leader Peter Obi, particularly over who should lead the alliance into the 2027 presidential election.
“The moment the coalition is about supporting one person’s ambition—Atiku Abubakar—it is bound to fail,” Olayinka said. “Who is calling for the coalition? Atiku. And who is expected to benefit from it? Atiku. That kind of coalition can never work.”
In 2019, Atiku and Obi ran on a joint PDP ticket as presidential and vice-presidential candidates. However, ahead of the 2023 elections, Obi exited the PDP to pursue his presidential ambition under the Labour Party. As the 2027 race draws nearer, Atiku has renewed calls for a united opposition front to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Recently, Atiku proposed the formation of a coalition platform focused on good governance and the removal of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He extended invitations to key opposition figures, including Obi.
But Olayinka insists that mutual mistrust and political ambition will derail the initiative before it even takes shape.
“Will Peter Obi agree to run under a coalition led by Atiku? Will Atiku step aside and support Obi? Or will either of them back a third candidate? These are the questions that show this coalition cannot and will not work,” he said.
He concluded that the absence of a clear structure and consensus around candidates indicates the proposed coalition is already doomed, even before its official formation.
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