Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and other concerned leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have urged members of the party and well meaning Nigerians to join proposed coalition ahead of 2027 general elections.
The party leaders on the platform of Concerned Leaders of PDP made the call a communique issued on Tuesday and signed by Mark after a meeting at Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.
The group stressed the need for the coalition partners to work out the modalities of winning all elections taking into consideration local and national peculiarities.
According to reports, the meeting was held bearly 24 hours after the party 100th National Working Committee (NEC) meeting held on Monday in Abuja.
The opposition leaders said that the meeting was called to discuss the disturbing condition PDP had been sunk into.
They said that since the PDP loss in the 2023 presidential election and the exit of Dr Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman, the party had never been the same again.
The party leaders also noted that vested interests from within and the actions of the All Progressives Congress (APC), including the inability of PDP leadership to lead the party by its Constitution had led the major opposition into a chaotic and undisciplined party.
They added that the vision of the PDP and the role it played in restoring Nigeria as stable and united country and key player on the regional, continental, and global stage had also been washed away.
“The meeting took time to deliberate deeply on the issues of democracy, national unity, national security, economy, corruption, governance, and other concerns plaguing our country,” the communique stated.
The opposition leaders stated that arising from the meeting they resolved that the All Progressives Congress (APC) must be voted out of power.
“All indices of development that support the comfort and quality of lives of the citizens have collapsed, and life is now hell in Nigeria
“The PDP, which is organic with the discipline, capacity, and history to lead and save Nigeria, is now a shadow of its old self,” the group said.
The party leaders said that the meeting encouraged all well-meaning PDP Members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition.
“That all coalition partners must be united on the issues of national unity, democracy, national security, national economy, and the political will to stamp out corruption embedded in our institutions.
“That the coalition partners to work out the modalities of winning all elections taking into consideration local and national peculiarities,” he said.
Other PDP leaders in attendance were former PDP National Chairman Prince Uche Secondus, former Governors Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Gabriel Suswam (Benue) and Sam Egwu (Ebonyi).
Also in attendance were Sen. Ben Obi, former PDP National Women Leader Josephine Anenih, former National Organising Secretary, Sen. Austin Akobundu, ex-National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, and former National Youth Leader Abdullahi Maibasira, among others.