Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso Still Have Opportunity for Grand Alliance — Ologbondiyan

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You may recall the tumultuous political landscape of 2023, particularly in Nigeria, where President Bola Tinubu's All Progressives Congress won the presidential election in a closely contested race. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other opposition parties have been vying for power, with a possible united front against Tinubu in the 2027 elections. Kola Ologbondiyan, a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, believes the opposition still has a chance to form a grand alliance against President Tinubu.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and National Democratic Congress (NDC) are two parties that have been at the forefront of this push for unity. Although the ADC has been consistent in holding the government in power to its responsibilities, both parties are still facing legal disputes. I think that if the opposition political parties are determined to rescue this nation, the best approach is for all opposition political parties to pull together and work in the direction of rescuing our nation from the path of perdition into which it is gradually drifting, Ologbondiyan said.

But what about Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who left the ADC coalition in May? When the decision was taken to leave the ADC, my reading was that the decision was arrived at in a hurry. And I said this publicly because no point had been reached in the discussion to arrive at the position of leaving the alliance. So, you think there is no real danger that both Atiku Abubakar and Obi/Kwankwaso camps will split the opposition vote again, just as happened in 2023?

Ologbondiyan's analysis reveals that the opposition still has the opportunity to form a grand alliance. I don't want to say or hold on to the notion that that decision is dead. He believes that the decision to form a grand alliance is still on the table.

The PDP has elected a new national leadership this year? I think my worry about the PDP is, I know you talked about the PDP today, but which PDP are you talking about? I think that is the challenge that I have. And I say so essentially because the role of the PDP was to serve as an opposition political party after losing power in 2015. But can we, with every sense of responsibility, say that the PDP as we have it now will serve that same purpose?

Ologbondiyan's concern about the PDP is that it is unclear whether the party is the same opposition force it once was. I think the answer is no. And I want to leave it at that.

In his assessment, the PDP has lost ground and the party's new leadership is yet to prove itself.

Ologbondiyan believes that the ADC, on the other hand, has shown consistency and determination in holding the government in power accountable. And I give it to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition. Since it came onto the political scene about a year ago, I think the party spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi has been consistent in holding the government in power to its responsibilities. So I think that, moving forward, even if the party continues in that line, irrespective of what the disposition is after the 2027 election, I think it should emerge as a political party that has focus, that has determination, and that is going to serve the interests of Nigerians.