• Now to talk less of coalition plans, activities •Shift meeting venues abroad amid secret support from embassies
By Chinelo Obogo
Opposition leaders and bigwigs in Nigeria have intensified their plans for a coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections by adopting a new, more discreet strategy, Daily Sun has learned.
Reliable sources told Daily Sun that the opposition leaders, particularly those spearheading the coalition efforts, have resolved to drastically limit public discussions of their plans. The decision is due to concerns that previous public statements have proven to be counterproductive.
The shift in strategy also includes holding discussions in locations where opposition leaders can operate without fear of being monitored. Daily Sun’s sources say the opposition leaders are aware that they have been infiltrated and because of that, are now taking extreme caution by withholding sensitive information to prevent it from reaching the ruling party and being used against them.
Daily Sun also learnt that several governors are providing support to opposition leaders, who have now limited their meetings within Nigeria due to concerns that moles have infiltrated their ranks. Sources also revealed that some embassies have provided support to enable seamless meetings outside Nigeria where surveillance would be more difficult.
High-ranking PDP leaders have also engaged in conversations with coalition figures. Though the party has not yet committed itself to full participation, sources indicate that discussions are ongoing regarding the extent of PDP’s involvement in the proposed coalition.
This push for unity comes against the backdrop of the internal crises within major opposition parties. Party stalwarts have accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of using state institutions like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the body responsible for recognising party leadership, to ensure that the crises festers.
Just last week, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) National Chairman Yabagi Sani accused President Bola Tinubu of actively fueling the turmoil within the PDP, Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and others. Sani claims Tinubu is deliberately “shrinking the political space” to favor the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sani’s accusations followed President Tinubu’s comments during his Democracy Day address to the National Assembly on June 12, 2025, where he openly mocked the opposition’s struggles, stating: “It is, indeed, a pleasure to witness you in such disarray. We must welcome and accept the diversity and number of political parties. I will not help you put your house in order.”
The president defended the APC’s acceptance of defectors, including Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, arguing that it would constitute “political malpractice” to reject them. He described the opposition parties as “sinking ships from which members escaped.”
However, opposition leaders swiftly condemned Tinubu’s comments. Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, accused President Tinubu of governing like a civilian dictator and undermining democratic gains while the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralph Nwosu alleged that Tinubu was misusing state resources to suppress the opposition.
The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) described President Tinubu’s comments as “a calculated assault on Nigeria’s pluralistic ideals and evidence of sinister complicity in destabilising rivals” while the former LP presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on his part, stated that Tinubu’s comments confirmed the APC’s role in the opposition crises and its efforts to undermine democracy.