Wednesday, June 18, 2025 - Political parties and civil groups eyeing a grand alliance ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections converged in Kano on Tuesday for a major strategy meeting under the banner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The gathering held at the Malam Aminu Kano Centre for
Democratic Studies in Mambayya House, Gwammaja, and was chaired by Nigeria’s
former ambassador, Bala Sani.
It drew delegates from opposition parties, including the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Peoples Redemptions Party
(PRP), Action People’s Party (APP), New Nigeria Movement (NMN), youth
organizations, and informal sector groups across Kano State.
Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, the ADC’s 2023 gubernatorial
candidate in Kano and head of the state’s council of clerics, urged opposition
parties to embrace unity and strategic planning to unseat the ruling APC in
2027.
“We all now feel the urgency. Everyone must rise because
defeating APC will require serious, sincere collaboration—an alliance built on
genuine intent, not just political ambition,” Khalil said.
He criticized the APC government for suppressing opposition
voices and co-opting institutions that should act as checks, like the National
Assembly and the judiciary.
“When those who should hold government accountable start
singing its praises, democracy is in danger,” he warned.
In his address, ADC Chairman in Kano, Musa Shuaibu Ungogo
emphasized the importance of regaining the confidence of Nigerians to
democratic system, “there is no gainsaying the fact that Nigerians have lost
faith in our democratic system, they have lost confidence in political elites’s
ability to steer this nation towards meaningful growth, sustainable development
and sustained leadership in Africa. Today we must reignite that hope, we must
demonstrate that politics can still be a force for good, a tool for national
redemption, and a vehicle for the aspiration of the common man,” he lamented.
Prominent political analyst, Professor Kamilu Sani Fagge
stressed the need for discipline, sacrifice, and compromise within any
opposition alliance. “Victory is impossible without unity. The APC won in 2015
because all their contenders shelved personal ambitions and rallied behind
Muhammadu Buhari,” he noted.
Dr. Saidu Ahmad Dukawa also cautioned that internal
democracy must not be compromised.
“When candidates are imposed, it spells doom for the party.
Injustice kills political parties,” he stated.
Party representatives echoed their commitment to the
coalition. Sani Lawan Es, APP’s Kano State Secretary, voiced concerns about
trust: “Our fear is betrayal—being used and dumped. But if everyone plays fair,
we can succeed.”
Abba Bukar Dambatta of the LP and a member of its national
presidential campaign committee encouraged the alliance to remain resilient:
“To those who think this is impossible— don’t lose hope. We’ve endured hardship
for 10 years; we’ve been through the fire. Everyone feels the pain now.”
There are ongoing efforts by leading opposition figures
including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, LP’s Peter Obi, and former
Kaduna Governor Nasir El-Rufai to form a formidable alliance to challenge
President Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC in 2027.
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