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Presidential hopeful, Atiku Abubakar, recently visited former president, Muhammadu Buhari, in Daura, Katsina state. Although Atiku said he visited Buhari to congratulate him on the successful celebration of the 2024 Eid-el-Kabir festivity, the meeting may have a political motive. 2027 presidential election: Buhari may back Atiku Abubakar View pictures in App save up to 80% data. TheTalk.NG reports that Atiku may ride on the wing of the current hardship, occasioned by the removal of subsidy on petrol and other harsh economic policies of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government to stand as a major contender for the presidency in 2027 — if he decided to seek office for the seventh time. Atiku’s unsuccessful attempts at the presidency Atiku had in the last 20 years attempted — albeit unsuccessfully — to become Nigeria’s president. He contested against Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola in the famous June 12, 1993 presidential primaries, where Abiola and Babagana Kingbe emerged as candidates of the then Social Democratic Party (SDP). In 2003, Atiku contested on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Later in 2011, he vied for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primaries against President Goodluck Jonathan and in 2015 he contested against Buhari at the general election and lost. In 2019 and 2023, he was the PDP presidential candidate and lost the main elections. In this report, TheTalk.NG looks at the reasons why Buhari may back Atiku in the 2027 election. 1) Northern alliance Atiku’s recent visits to past Nigerian presidents from the north are most likely part of a plot to unseat President Tinubu in the 2027 poll. Politically, the North is unarguably the most powerful region in Nigeria. It is the premise on which the amalgamation of Nigeria was founded. The North was to have political power while the South had economic/commercial power. Thus each divide (North/South) have found a way to consciously or unconsciously perpetuate this over the years. Atiku had in the last three weeks visited former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, former head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and Buhari. The series of visits by Atiku had political undertones, as it was the commencement of a plot to remove Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. 2) Tinubu’s govt blame game TheTalk.NG reports that Tinubu’s government had faulted Buhari for the state of the nation, particularly the current economic crisis. A former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole (now a senator representing Edo North senatorial district), is also of the view that Nigerians are currently suffering from what he described as “reckless policies” of former President Buhari. Oshiomhole, who spoke in an interview with a television station, said the current hardship being witnessed under the current administration was the long-term consequences of policies of Buhari’s administration. Some supporters of the Tinubu administration like the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II and pan Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere, have also blamed Buhari for the country’s current woes. This would not sit well with him (Buhari) and his staunch supporters. 3) Tinubu’s seeming lack of confidence in Buhari’s appointees On June 19, 2023, President Tinubu fired all service chiefs appointed by his predecessor. Other influential principal officers who served under the Buhari administration disengaged by President Tinubu include Godwin Emefiele, Abdulrasheed Bawa, Babagana Monguno, and Lauretta Onochie.

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As Nigerians look forward to the 2027 general elections, Peter Obi has said he has no plans to join other politicians to form a mega party to oust the All Progressives Congress (APC). As reported by The Punch, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, made this call when he spoke to newsmen on Saturday, June 29, in Onitsha, Anambra state. 2027: Peter Obi gives condition to form alliance with Atiku View pictures in App save up to 80% data. Peter Obi (left) and Atiku Abubakar are former political allies. Photo credit: @atikuSource: Facebook He said: “How do we pull people out of poverty? That should be our concern, and not forming a mega party. “But if forming a mega party is to be able to provide all these things I have illustrated, then I am all for it. But if it is for state capture, so that politicians can take power and continue with the consumption, consumption, consumption, that we are seeing today, I will say no. But if it is to move the country to production, production, production, then I will say yes.”

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“When truth is buried under­ground it grows, it chokes, it gathers such an explosive force that on the day it bursts out, it blows up everything with it.” — Emile Zola, 1898 No, the real explosions have yet to come. But what cannot be denied is that little by lit­tle, slight seepage by slight seepage, the truth concerning the onslaught, the political persecution proficiently, ardently, relentlessly, savagely and brutally directed against Chief James Onanefe Ibori but dressed up as an­ti-corruption prosecution, is emerg­ing. One such little seepage, an essay titled ‘The Problem With EFCC,’ ap­peared on June 25th, 2024, in The Ca­ble online newspaper. The author, Dr. Michael Owoko began the essay most energetically; “In every government or institution, there is a corresponding invisible hand that remote-controls its affairs with immense influence over the decision-making process, predom­inantly on matters of interest. In most cases, while the head, and perhaps, the kitchen cabinet, may be aware of this imperceptible parallel, it is mostly unknown to other members of the team, who ignorantly believe that the administration’s decisions are with­out external interference. The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) is a vic­tim of this invisible hand. The head of the commission, and possibly, his inner caucus, are not oblivious of its presence and interference, but may be unknown to other members of staff. By conferring the power to appoint the chairman of the commission on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, lawmakers have unwit­tingly created an invisible hand for the EFCC. The invisible hand is the president, and by extension, the pres­idency”. And with that, Dr. Owoko had raised the most relevant point in EFCC’s persecution against Ibori. It all began in 2005 when the anti-graft agency was under Nuhu Ribadu’s chairmanship and His Excellency, Olusegun Obasanjo was Nigeria’s President. In 2007, Ibori’s residency at the Asaba Government House ended as his two terms of four years each as Delta State Governor had been served. Dr. Omoko wrote: “Most ex-gov­ernors, ministers and other political and business bigwigs that have been prosecuted and convicted to date are those with either weak links or fallen out of favour with the president. An example were former governors of Delta state, James Ibori, and Bayelsa state, Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (now late), whose demand for resource con­trol irked the then president, Gener­al Olusegun Obasanjo. The former president believed that the ex-gover­nors were source of funding for the defunct Niger Delta agitation group, the Movement for Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND), and conse­quently activated the invisible hand which compelled the EFCC to cut them to size”. Yes, the dictatorial Obasanjo who rated his personal opinion above the national constitution had refused to activate the 13% derivation payment to states on revenue emanating to the federation account from such states until Ibori convened a South-South summit in Asaba in 2000, 24 years ago. Also, by then the onshore and offshore dichotomy of natural gas and oil production was still being debated so Niger Delta states were being de­nied revenue accruing from mineral deposits in the Atlantic. In the man of that moment’s thinking, revenue from such oil deposits belonged to Nigeria all right but not to the states which make up Nigeria. And I ask: Who was the President when Ibori and Alamieyeseigha faced such insidious persecution which highly regarded columnists such as Segun Adeniyi, Simeon Kolawole, Eugene Enahoro, Abraham Ogbodo and Chris Akor and Sahara Reporters hailed as untainted anti-corruption prosecution? Olusegun Obasanjo! Also, who was the EFCC Chairman? Nuhu Ribadu! As all the Aso Rock watchers knew, politics also ran through it; so, it was common knowledge that Obasanjo and EFCC targeted the Governors who were pro-Atiku Abubakar – Obasanjo’s then estranged Vice-Pres­ident. Why would the President have such a control over the EFCC chairman? Omoko’s answer: “Section 2 (3) of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (Establishment) Act, 2004 clearly states that “the chairman and members of the commission, oth­er than ex-officio members, shall be appointed by the president”, and the appointment shall be subject to con­firmation by the Senate. By this Act, the EFCC was deliv­ered as a bondservant from incep­tion, lacking autonomy and courage to function effectively outside the grip and body language rhythm of its mas­ter, the president. And since the head of the commission occupies the driv­er’s seat, obeying all traffic regulations as beamed by the president, liberty is replaced with dependency.” Ordinarily, a President of a nation should be trusted to exercise power responsibly; that is why he is trust­ed with that authoritative office in the first place. He is not expected to abuse his office while hounding the citizens who dare disagree with him. But by the time the EFCC Bill was being debated, Obasanjo had already shown his true undem­ocratic colours and the National Assembly was wary of passing the EFCC Bill as he wanted it. To con­vince the national legislators that he meant well, Aso Rock offered to fly the relevant House of Representa­tives Committee to South Korea to study the anti-graft agency there. The evening before the Committee members embarked on that trip, I sat with a member, Hon Chude Ofodile to discuss the pros and cons of pass­ing the bill as Obasanjo wanted it, or to delay it further while the law makers tinker more with it. On the Committee’s return from that trip, the bill was passed – and Nigeria fell into Obasanjo and Ribadu’s control. Why did Michael Omoko focus on Ibori and Alamieyeseigha to illus­trate the factual happenings during Obasanjo’s vindictive presidency, which set Nigeria on the free fall it is reeling from now? Ibori left office 17 years ago for goodness sake. He was even jailed in Britain, too, and so stayed away from Nigeria for almost a decade. Since then, the third set of Governors is now in office, yet Ibori remains an issue – nationwide. Since then, he has not held a public office. Yet, his popularity whether in Delta state or within the Niger Delta, has ever remained on the upward swing. This is perplexing. For an explanation, I align with Jacques Abbadie, later Dean of Killal­oe, Ireland. Abbadie said in 1684, in his French Treatise on the Truth of the Christian Religion: “One can fool some men, or fool all men in some places and times, but one cannot fool all men in all places and ages.” The following century Denis Did­erot copied this almost verbatim in his entry in the Yale Book of Quotations, and it was later wrongly attributed to Lincoln; “You can fool some of the peo­ple all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time”. There are no known contemporary records or accounts substantiating that Lin­coln ever made the statement. The earliest known appearance is Octo­ber 29, 1886 in the Milwaukee Daily Journal. It later appeared in the New York Times on August 26 and August 27, 1887. An exhaustive search of Lin­coln’s writing and reported speeches has turned up nothing. Something I have chosen to call Ibori’s revenge happened at Asaba during the May 31st 2024 funeral Mass for the late Asagba of Asaba, Prof. Chike Edozien, right inside the St. Jo­seph’s Catholic Church, as related by Dr. Leroy C. Edozien: “The Priest was thanking the visitors, and according to the order of established protocol Ibori; the order of precedence. “When it got to the turn of Chief James Onanefe Ibori, past Governor of Delta State, the congregation erupt­ed spontaneously in loud applause. Further down in his presentation, the priest had cause to again mention the name of Chief Ibori, and again there was a fervid applause in a hitherto quiet church. It was like we were at a political meeting or a celebrity par­ty, not a Catholic church. But these were not party loyalists or political acolytes, or tribesmen; they were or­dinary people who had come to their king’s funeral”. Also, Ibori was so honoured at Amassoma mid-June this year when he received a chieftaincy title, Opu Ekei of Igboin, from His Royal Maj­esty, King Oweipa Jones Ere III the Ebenanwei of Ogboin Kingdom title as he marked his 20th year as King. Vigorous applause greeted the Ibori name every time. Leroy Edozien asked an important question: “How come Chief Ibori re­ceived such a fervid and spontaneous reception (in church!) while the intro­duction of other top dignitaries met with silence? And this occurring 17 years after he left office? And despite adverse publicity that had trailed him for some time”. He provides the answer: “As Governor, Chief Ibori worked his way into the hearts of the governed, across social strata. He was a man of the people. I recognise two do­mains in political leadership: ‘soft’ and ‘hard’. These two are distinct but they synergise and reinforce each other. The ‘soft’ domain is about relation­ships, about hearts and minds. A good leader reaches out to all, feels the pulse of the people, builds bridges, wins hearts and minds. The ‘hard’ domain is the tangible performance of the leader, as in the building of infrastruc­ture, creation of jobs, management of the economy and so on”. The people score Ibori highly on both the hard and soft domains of power! Does Ibori’s non-ebbing popular­ity matter? The important thing to his traducers, myopic though, is that he was jailed. If being imprisoned is all that matters, wasn’t Obasanjo himself once imprisoned and later received presidential pardon? The ever resourceful Ibori made the best use of his time there; he studied for and earned university degrees there. The important thing to me is that truth is gradually emerging. The common Nigerians are not fools and so do not revere, and keep hailing someone, as their leader, come rain or shine for no reason. Niger Deltans know Ibori was jailed for his politics and not for steal­ing. Even journalists who excoriate him as a thief know they are lying; or they are plain bumbling fools and failed journalists for the London Court record bears witness that Ibori did not steal a penny from Delta state coffers. Truth: From No 82 (page 15) of Prosecution’s statement during Ibori’s sentencing comes this): “MER Engi­neering built two houseboats, which were rented out to oil workers. It was Ibori who was able to influence the contracts with Chevron and Shell and the NNPC. 83: It was MER money that paid for the Ibori property in Hampstead, Westover Hill: COUNT 5: (lying on the file). 84: It was MER money that bought the house Ibori bought in Houston, Texas (USA). 85: It was MER money that paid for the deposit for the $20 million Challenger Jet airplane that Mr. Ibori was in the process of buying when his monies were restrained by the UK courts (Count 9) (STATEMENT OF OFFENCE reads: “Attempting to commit money laundering contrary to Section 1 (1) of the Criminal At­tempts Act 1981”. Finish. The partic­ulars of offence section were among the dropped charges. Doubtlessly, all the properties were actually bought with monies that ac­crued from MER Engineering, Ibori’s own company on contract with cer­tain oil majors. 183: “MER had a bank account at Barclays in Knightsbridge. The money went from the oil companies straight out of Nigeria and into MER account in Barclays”. 140: Prosecution’s conclusion: “To recap, during the eight-year period, when James Ibori was Governor of Delta State, ostensibly earning 4 thou­sand Pounds per annum, he amassed a property portfolio of six houses worth 6.9 million Pounds”. Was Ibori really earning just Four Thousand Pounds yearly? Who owned MER Engineering and such other businesses? And why did the London Prosecution mention only 6.9 million Pounds? What happened to the $200 million dollars charge Obasanjo said in the Chude Jideonwo interview and his My Watch book that he or EFFCC had established against Ibori and he asked Ibori to refund some $150m. Lies have short legs. Phew! Nigerians couldn’t ask where Obasanjo derived such powers from. Yet, they claim to love freedom and swear by the constitution.

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The Citizens Advocacy Against Corruption (CAAC) has raised concerns over an alleged plot by pro-Nyesom Wike members of the Rivers State Assembly to compromise the judiciary and buy court rulings as the political crisis in Rivers state takes a new twist. At a press conference in Abuja, the group claimed that these political actors are attempting to buy court rulings and undermine citizens’ confidence in the judiciary. “We have had cause to raise the alarm over untoward scheming by desperate political gladiators, who have concluded that the best way to have their way is by compromising the judiciary. They will then proceed to buy court rulings as if they were commodities to be traded at the peril of citizens.” the group said. The group specifically highlighted the transfer of cases challenging the defection of 25 former lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Federal High Court 4, Port Harcourt, to Court Two, presided over by Justice E. O. Obele. The CAAC fears that the transfer may be a strategy to delay the cases and allow the former lawmakers to continue parading as lawmakers, potentially leading to a crisis in Rivers state. Meanwhile, the group has called on the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, to take measures to discipline any erring judge who allows themselves to be compromised. The CAAC also urged Nigerians to be vigilant and ensure that the judiciary is not compromised by political interests. The group said: The judiciary and all well-meaning Nigerians must be vigilant of the plot by these political elements to compromise the Nigerian judiciary. “As Nigerians, we must wake up to the reality on the ground and be vigilant to ensure that nothing strange happens in this case since the handling of the cases involving these former members of the Rivers House of Assembly will influence the future direction of citizens’ representation in parliament and also the stability of the polity.” Alabo said internal divisions within the PDP are the primary reason lawmakers defected to the APC. Alabo lamented his inability to communicate with the PDP secretariat because of the ongoing legal disputes related to the party’s secretaryship.

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The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to immediately mobilize and declare a nationwide strike over the delayed minimum wage and the recent hike in electricity tariffs…… CDWR has urged the organized labour to initiate a 48-hour general strike and mass protest to demand a minimum wage of at least N200,000 and the reversal of anti-poor policies such as privatization, deregulation, subsidy removal, and the hike in electricity tariffs. In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, CDWR expressed frustration over the ongoing deadlock in minimum wage negotiations, which have persisted for over three weeks. The government’s and private sector’s insistence on paying only N60,000 prompted an indefinite strike starting June 3, 2024, which was suspended the following day. Bosah criticized the labour leadership for suspending actions without a concrete plan, highlighting that many principal leaders attended the International Labour Organisation (ILO) meetings in Switzerland instead. This is the second instance this year where labour leadership has suspended actions, previously issuing a 2-week ultimatum following the suspension of a nationwide protest on February 28, 2024. The strike on June 3, 2024, was notably effective, shutting down major sectors of the economy including sea, airport, and electricity operations. However, labour leaders failed to capitalize on the momentum, allowing the capitalist ruling elite more time to maneuver. CDWR stressed the importance of wage increases, condemning the capitalist system for perpetuating poverty wages and emphasizing the necessity of a living wage. Despite the outdated N30,000 minimum wage not being implemented in some states, such as Zamfara State, CDWR emphasized the urgency of resisting anti-people policies amid rising living costs and inflation rates. The statement highlighted the extravagant spending of the government, such as the National Assembly’s expenditure of N57.6 billion on SUVs, contrasting it with the dire economic conditions faced by Nigerians. CDWR argued that the economic crisis is a result of the capitalist system and the exploitation of working people, advocating for the trade union movement to demand better wages and resist anti-poor policies. CDWR cited the recent successful mass protest in Kenya, which forced the government to withdraw an IMF/World Bank-inspired tax increment policy, as an example for Nigerian workers to follow. They called on the NLC and TUC to mobilize for a 48-hour general strike and mass protest to demand a higher minimum wage and the reversal of anti-poor policies. Additionally, CDWR urged the trade union leaders to include a demand for automatic wage adjustments in line with inflation and living costs, to avoid prolonged negotiations and ensure wages do not lag behind inflation. The statement concluded by emphasizing the need for a pan-Nigerian democratic and working people’s political party with a socialist program to defeat the self-serving capitalist ruling elite and plan the economy for the benefit of the majority.

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Following the ongoing economic hardship being experienced by Nigerians, First Baptist Church has come out to urge President Bola Tinubu to listen to Nigerians and trust God to leave a great legacy. Rev. Tom Takpatore, Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church of the Nigerian Baptist Convention made this appeal while addressing newsmen during the Church’s mid-year thanksgiving service in area 11, Garki, Abuja on Sunday. Takpatore who said the essence of the Thanksgiving service was to celebrate the goodness, mercies and power of the Lord in the first half of the year, also encouraged Nigerians that despite the fact that they don’t have what they expect but once there is there hope and God will come to their aid with wonders. He said: “Today is the last day of the month of June, the last day of the first half of the year, so we taking a pause to say God we thank you, you have seen us through since the beginning of the year, January to this moment, since the day we were born up till now, we are just pausing to say ‘Lord thank you’ it’s a thanksgiving service, a celebration of the goodness of the Lord, of the mercy of the Lord, of the power of the Lord, of deliverance of the Lord, of the joy of the Lord, of the provision of the Lord, of wonders of the Lord. “My encouragement and my message to Nigerians is that despite the fact that we have challenges we have reasons to be thankful to God as a nation, if you are a Nigerian there are things that we have gone through in this past 25 years, even in our history most nations that went through them didn’t survive but God has kept us and God is keeping us, there is life there is hope, we don’t have what we are expecting but trust that with the help of God there will be wonders, God will help us as a nation. “God will come to our aid, our trust is not even in man nor the political system, our trust is in the Lord, we believe that God can use anyone, if he could use great Kings like Cyrus in the old testament to accomplish his purpose, he will use men to accomplish his purpose concerning the destiny of our country Nigeria. “The charge is to take the time one year to do some reevaluation, what have we done, what have we done right that is working, we keep on doing it and what we need to do more, what are the areas we need to work on. “I believe that for our President, Nigerians are not silent, Nigerians are speaking, and all he needs to do is take time, listen to Nigerians and trust God and God will grant him the enabling grace to write his name on the sands of time and by the grace of God he will leave a great legacy for our country Nigeria.”

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The former lawmaker representing Kaduna Central senatorial district, Shehu Sani, in a recent interview, spoke on ex-vice president, Atiku Abubakar working with ex-governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai in the 2027 presidential election. Sani, in an interview with Sunday Sun, said he does not know if the duo will work together, but he is sure there will be a realignment of forces. He claimed that the North would play a card that would bring northerners together and also work on getting an alliance with a section of the country. Speaking on the possibilities of the 2027 presidential election, Sani said, “Well, I don’t know whether they are working together or not, but I know that there will be a lot of realignment of forces and the ace, the card that will be played by the North is that of bringing all northerners together and then, getting an alliance with a section of the country other than the Southwest and then, see how that can garner votes to remove Tinubu out of power because in the equation of the North, out of the eight million votes which Tinubu has gotten, five million comes from Northern Nigeria. “So, they want to see how they can pull off these votes from him and there are a lot of issues which they are going to put forward in the build-up to the 2027 campaign. “And they are going to use so many issues like the shifting of the CBN offices to Lagos; like the issues of appointments of many people from the South-western part of Nigeria; like the issue of insecurity which has not been solved in Northern part of Nigeria; these are all fundamental issues which they are going to take very seriously.”

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The Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), which represents the collective voice of all registered political parties and associations in Nigeria, has condemned the alleged plot to arrest Hon Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, a lawyer, politician, and lawmaker representing the Ideato Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives. The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) had raised the alarm over alleged intelligence received by the Opposition of a grand conspiracy by highly placed actors in the rivers crisis to use the police force to frame the federal opposition lawmaker and Coalition G60 legislators’ spokesperson, Hon. Ugochinyere, with fabricated charges of murder, rape, kidnapping, gun-running, and other imagined crimes over his stance on the Rivers State political crisis, defence of democracy, and principles of decent intra-party procedures. In response to the recent development, the CNPP issued a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, strongly warning that if carried out, the plot could result in unfathomable political instability and a breach of the peace. “The development raises serious concerns about the decline of democratic values and the suppression of free expression. “The CNPP believes that the alleged plot to arrest Hon. Ugochinyere is not only an attack on an individual but also a direct assault on democracy. We see this as an attempt to spread the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, adding a dangerous dimension to the already precarious situation in the state. “The CNPP is steadfast in its defence of democracy, founded on the principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, and respect for fundamental rights. Any attempt to undermine these principles endangers the very fabric of the country and poses a direct threat to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. “Hon. Ugochinyere has consistently advocated for justice, transparency, and accountability. His arrest would send a chilling message to all citizens willing to speak truth to power. We cannot allow free speech to be silenced. “The CNPP warns that arresting Hon. Ugochinyere will exacerbate the current political crisis in Rivers State and raise general tensions in the FCT and Nigeria. We, therefore, call for restraint and adherence to due process. “We demand an immediate halt to any plot to arrest Hon. Ugochinyere. The rule of law must prevail, and no individual should be victimised for expressing their views, as guaranteed by the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution (as amended). “We urge all branches of government to uphold the principles of separation of powers. To ensure a healthy democracy, the legislature, judiciary, and executive branch must all function independently. “Let us prioritise national unity over excessive partisan interests. Nigeria’s strength lies in its diversity, and we must collaborate to build a stronger, more inclusive country. “The CNPP remains vigilant and determined to protect Nigeria’s democracy. We urge all stakeholders, including civil society organisations, the media, and concerned citizens, to condemn any attempt to silence dissenting or opposing voices. “We call on President Tinubu’s administration to do everything possible to avoid the ongoing Kenya experience or the Tunisia turmoil known for its pivotal role in the Arab Spring”, according to the CNPP.

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The news of the formation of a mega party in the mode of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) continues to gain traction with the visit recently of former governor Nasir el–Rufai to the secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). El- Rufai had gone to reciprocate an earlier visit made by National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Kashim Ibrahim – Imam and the National Chairman, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Shehu Musa Gabam. The trio had visited el – Rufai’s Abuja home for the breaking of their fast on invitation. Those conversant with the happenings in the country’s political terrain said that El-Rufai, one of the major actors of the formation of the APC in 2014 had gone to sound out the leaders of one of the parties to be used as the platform for that purpose. He was received by the members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the SDP. It would be recalled that Sunday Telegraph reported early in the year that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party had set up a Think Tank on the formation of a mega party with the view to getting a poster boy for the party, who would be acceptable to all. Also, the newspaper reported on the PDP Young Turks, who are battling Atiku to leave the party for them. A Source, who confided in the newspaper, gave an idea of how the mega party would be formed: “People will move from APC, people will move from PDP; they will move from SDP and Labour Party. They plan to do what APC did in 2015. “Recall that El Rufai was one of the front persons who led that coalition with Tinubu and Buhari’s CPC (Congress for Progressives Change). El Rufai was one of those, in the CPC to team up with the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). “That is the same template they are banking on that they can form a mega party they believe that the PDP on its own alone cannot and several young Turks in the PDP are also asking Atiku to quit the stage and allow the party to breathe. That his stranglehold on the party has not allowed the party to move in the last 10 years, and that the party also needs a breath of fresh air.” Our source continued: “Those, if they are not allowed, will team up with the promoters of the mega party and one of the things they will do is to stand as the main opposition party. “There are three plans afoot. The first plan is to merge with one of the existing parties either the PDP, the Labour Party, or with SDP and that is one of the reasons El Rufai went there to sound them out. “The people in the PDP, who are the rebels, believe that the PDP is sufficiently damaged and that it may not become a viable opposition party even if you rejuvenate it, while the diehard PDP is still saying that if Atiku is pushed out, the Young people can come in and revive the party. “However, those who have left the PDP into the APC are saying that if they return to the PDP, it will affect their political fortunes. So, they are the ones pushing for a new political platform that will accommodate the rebels and those who are disgruntled with what is happening in APC, those disgruntled with what is happening in PDP and some persons in the Labour Party also believe that no matter how hard the Labour Party tries on its own, they cannot win the coveted prize at the centre. So, they have to team up. It is the same thing with those too with the SDP. “Do not also forget that a number of those in this group are also close to Kwankwaso and the Kwankwasia Movement is also there.” Also another former member of the PDP from the South West said: “Now that our man is moving from place to place, he is networking and everybody knows that something is afoot. “The opposition is looking into the process of remaking itself. Some persona in the PDP believe that the PDP as political machinery does not have what it takes to get power again, and some people in APC believe that the APC as currently constituted does not cater for their interests. Therefore, several persons are looking to the way of el – Rufai, and some of the people who may leave. Quite several persons from the ruling party to partner or team up with like minds in the PDP, in the Labour Party, in the SDP. “There is an attempt at galvanizing an opposition, which will serve as a movement and then metamorphose into a mega party that will be in the opposition to the APC. “There are internal rebellions in the parties. If you want to leave, you do some damage to the party and el-Rufai has not forgotten how he was treated. His party was built with vigour and he did everything to make them win, before his ministerial appointment. “His party has the majority but he was not cleared. Those close to him believed that if the political leadership wanted him, there would have been a way. “He just said if what happened, they cited security reasons, they said there is more to it. Some people do not want him in the scheme of things.” Sunday Telegraph gathered that it would not be a surprise if El-Rufai becomes the leader or one of the leaders of an emerging opposition, which may metamorphose into a major opposition mega party. “As I told you earlier, people will come from APC, people will come in from PDP, and people will come from the Labour Party. They are convinced that, recently there has been a rapprochement; he is going around and those who have also come to visit him. “Peter Obi may also be reached as he may also play a major role in the emerging scene. It is not clear yet what his role may be. “What they are telling all of them is that if you want to fight the APC, one of the mistakes they made in the last election was their inability to come together as a veritable opposition like what happened in Senegal, come together to fight the incumbent government or incumbent party. “Look at the scores now. If they had combined with all the votes scored by Atiku, Obi and Kwankwaso, they would have done a lot of damage to the APC. There was an attempt at that time actually, but it did not work out because nobody was ready to play second fiddle. Just before the presidential election in 2023, they asked somebody to step down for somebody. There was a disagreement on who should step down for whom. So, all of them decided, ‘let us go and fight our battle and may the best candidate win.’ They have told them not to make that mistake again. That is why there is cross-fertilization of ideas and parties. That is what is going on. Some of you would be shocked by the people who will leave the APC to team up with the movement being galvanized. They are not calling it a political party yet, but a movement, but everybody knows that is where they are going. “You know politicians; they may be short on ideas on the economy but know how to wrest political power. A lot of people know that el-Rufai is up to something. Give it to him; he was the one who was the rallying point of the new party that eventually upstaged the PDP in 2015. He was the one that was going here and there with one or two persons and people have accused the PDP of docility. You can see an opposition party so quiet and you can see a lot of people defecting to the APC, which has shown that as an opposition party, PDP will not survive. That is why those in PDP, and those in LP, know what is going on and are part of it.” Gabam gave much credence to this in his reaction to el – Rufai’s visit when he said: “ It is a welcome development that concerned Nigerians are cross-fertilizing ideas on how to salvage the nation’s present unpleasant socio-economic challenges of the times. “The prevailing circumstances call for bipartisan and robust collaborations that transcend ethnic and religious lines to address the nation’s woes and find sustainable ways to redeem the situation.” However, for el-Rufai’s media Adviser, Muyiwa Adekeye, “People have personal histories and relationships that predate political affiliations. “It cannot be a Hallmark of civilization to have friends from within only your political party. When people visit each other or mingle across party lines, it is because human relationships exist, distinct from the political or the partisan.”