2027: Southern solidarity planners intensify groundwork for Tinubu

The planners of an alleged solidarity to get a united South to back the reelection of President Bola Tinubu in 2027 are reported to have intensified their strategies, the Nigerian Tribune learnt on Sunday.

State governors and other key political office holders across party lines, among other stakeholders; have been reportedly contacted in varying ways “primarily and ultimately” to get voters to cast their ballot for the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s candidate.

Findings indicated that the South-East, “considered to be the most likely zone of resistance”, is the target where the major work of getting voters on board will be done.

“From what we have heard and the body language of some of the political leaders, they are also looking for ways of initiating talks with very important opposition figures like Mr Peter Obi to reconsider their ambition of vying for the presidency in 2027.

“This has been a tough task so far, but the push is unrelenting”, a source following the issues, informed Nigerian Tribune in Abuja on Sunday.

The development came as the Obi camp declared that it would be “capital no” for anyone to contemplate the idea that the former governor of Anambra State would trade his presidential ambition on the table of any negotiations.

“We have already shown our interest as democrats and we have been on the narrative of changing the dynamics of our country’s misfortunes, in terms of the recycling of the leadership that we have had.

“We came with a clear ideology of a departure from the old to the present. What we came out with is prudency in management; accountability, compassion to the people, carrying the Nigerian youths along and showing a new paradigm shift from the old way of politics”, the National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Tanko Yunusa, told the newspaper in an interview, while reacting to the alleged underground moves.

“This particular politics and the fear of this new paradigm shift are what are bringing that narrative that they plan to shape,” he added.

Yunusa claimed that the planned solidarity would not achieve the intended objective because Obi would not negotiate to be out of the race for anybody.

“Obi is focused on his ambition to become President, we are determined and it is a fresh idea that will change the narrative of Nigeria.

“Obi is saying we need to be productive and accountable to the people with the little resources that we have and not to continue to be wasteful without accountability,” he said.

It was gathered that Obi, who as of the weekend, still held tightly to his Labour Party (LP) card in spite of fraternising with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), had also not engaged the governors in his immediate zone and the larger South in serious 2027 strategic talks yet.

“What is being plotted in this so-called solidarity plan is to have the governors, particularly second-term-seeking governors, to work behind the scenes for President Tinubu’s second term as they also pursue their own individual ambitions, hoping for a reciprocal gesture”, a senior political party official told Nigerian Tribune.

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