In order to represent the interests of the region and its citizens in the general elections of 2027, northern leaders in the opposition bloc are rethinking their plans and leading the charge to create a new mega coalition political party.
The Northern opposition bloc said in a statement following the National Political Consultative Group (NPCG) meeting in Abuja on Sunday that the new mega political party’s name would be revealed shortly.
Babachir Lawal, the Chairman of the NPCG and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), signed the document, which stated that representatives from Abuja and all 19 of the federation’s states agreed that the North must act as a single unit in making a political decision to guarantee the region receives the most benefit from national political participation.
The gathering voiced grave concerns about the region’s deteriorating security, which it claimed has tripled unemployment and destitution in the entire northern region, exacerbated poverty, and resulted in the loss of many lives and property valued at millions of naira.
The statement claims that under the current administration, instability has escalated to previously unheard-of levels, resulting in widespread poverty, hunger, destitution, and the breakdown of basic and secondary education.
Selfless leaders who will be honest in managing political parties and public sector governance are needed in the region and, in fact, the country, the meeting noted.
In addition, participants “condemned the impunity of elected leaders who abdicate their mandate by claiming to make decisions for their constituents without consulting them, citing recent developments in which elected state governors and legislators usurp the power of the people by endorsing themselves and other individuals for re-election to political offices without consulting their constituents, and advising that constituents should sanction such elected officials to serve as a deterrent.”
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Participants “agreed on the need to escalate the group’s initiative to all the nineteen (19) states and FCT through the provision of the appropriate template and resolved that the region must prioritize and promote industrialization and high productivity in all sectors in order to exit the present economic quagmire,” according to the communique.
The group also decided that, in the future, the North will only back candidates who have an enforceable pledge to safeguard and defend the region’s interests, regardless of the candidate’s place of origin.
In order to ensure and safeguard the region’s informed interests, the statement went on to say: “That, going forward, the North must prescribe its support for candidates at elections on enforceable agreement, regardless of where the candidates come from.”
In the end, the gathering decided to form committees to help carry out the choices and resolutions made there.
At the APC National Summit on Thursday, the Progressive Governors Forum, the APC National Working Committee, and the party’s National Assembly members endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election. The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) strongly denounced the decision, calling it extremely troubling for democracy.
Its National Chairman, Mallam Falalu Bello, OFR, signed a statement released over the weekend that said
According to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), the endorsements “expose the APC’s attempt to cling to power through orchestrated endorsements rather than the genuine voice of the Nigerian people” and were motivated more by desperation than by true democratic intent.
“We learn a crucial lesson from history and current political realities: power is maintained by the confidence and trust of the populace, not just by strategies. Even the most powerful governmental apparatus breaks down when the public loses faith in it, as demonstrated by examples from around the world.
The PRP cited the 2010 election in Ivory Coast as an example, recalling that “President Laurent Gbagbo attempted to hold onto power by using resources, state structures, and phony endorsements like President Tinubu.” But in the end, the electorate rejected him. The collective memory of adversity—poverty, hunger, and economic frustration—formed the basis of their choice.
“The Ivorian’s refusal showed that hunger never forgets and that the voice of a suffering people cannot be replaced by political machinery or propaganda.” Similar to this, Edgar Lungu was overthrown in Zambia by a young opposition candidate named Hakainde Hichilema, who turned people’s resentment into votes and ultimately altered the political landscape by demonstrating that people vote based on their suffering rather than party affiliation. Lungu’s control over the media, state apparatus, and finances was insufficient.
Even when supported by the most robust institutions, power becomes susceptible when the public loses faith in its effectiveness and legitimacy. This notion is further highlighted by the instance of Yahya Jammeh in the Gambia. The people’s will ultimately won out, and even his devoted army retreated when the vote overrode propaganda, despite his attempt to govern for “a billion years.
“Power is strong when it is founded on the trust of the people; it is weak when it is founded on desperation and manipulation. In other words, even the most complex plans become noise, defections become theater, endorsements become comedy, and power eventually eludes those who no longer trust their leaders.
“(President) Tinubu’s political machinery and endorsements may seem formidable now, but they cannot silence the cries of the masses suffering under skyrocketing fuel prices, failing infrastructure, joblessness, insecurity, brazen corruption, and a crumbling economy,” the PRP said, adding that Nigeria’s situation echoes this truth.
People are clearly disillusioned, and when they mutter, ‘This is not what we voted for,’ it indicates a serious rift between the governed and the leadership. Furthermore, the aforementioned indices—rather than merely endorsements or political alliances—are the actual votes that will shape the future.
The APC’s present decision to support Tinubu’s candidacy, the PRP continued, “seems to be a classic case of a desperate power grab—an attempt to cement dominance through endorsements and political theater rather than delivery of genuine democratic dividends.” History and contemporary reality demonstrate that the voice of the people—their suffering and aspirations—remains the final judge of true power, regardless of how packed or practiced the political stage becomes
The PRP urged President Bola Tinubu and the APC to understand that democracy is about providing the people with real services, security, and dignity, not only about party machinery or endorsements. Any desperate attempt to subvert this essential truth is bound to fa
“We support the Nigerian people who are demanding genuine change rather than a grab for power. The declaration came to the conclusion that “the future belongs to those who understand that power must be rooted in the trust of the people, not in the desperation of those seeking to hold onto it at all costs.”
