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From John Adams, Minna
Former Niger State governor and secretary of the Tanimu Turaki-led Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu, has formed a cross-party coalition to mobilise support for the re-election of Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago in 2027.
The coalition, known as the ‘Bago Actualization Group for New Niger,’ is to mobilise support for Bago, the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Inaugurating the support group at his private residence in Abuja on Monday, Aliyu said it was formed to mobilise support for the governor’s second-term ambition.
He said the group was not restricted to members of any particular political party, stressing that its membership cut across the PDP, APC, African Democratic Congress (ADC), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and other parties in the state.
However, unlike Nyesom Wike’s rainbow coalition, which has adopted President Bola Tinubu as its preferred presidential candidate, Aliyu’s coalition is focused only on Bago’s re-election.
The group said it was committed to promoting continuity and unity as well as sustaining the ongoing development in the state.
A statement by Mallam Abdul Marafa, the group’s zonal media and publicity coordinator for Zone B, quoted Aliyu as saying that the formal inauguration marked an important step in strengthening its leadership structure and expanding engagement with political stakeholders and citizens across the state in support of Bago’s 2027 re-election bid and his administration’s development agenda.
He urged members to remain dedicated, disciplined and committed to the responsibilities entrusted to them.
Aliyu also urged them to work collectively towards achieving the group’s objectives, stressing the need for
sincerity, understanding and a shared vision for the future of Niger State.
The former governor emphasised that the interest and development of Niger State must remain paramount in the
group’s activities and called on political leaders and stakeholders to place the welfare of the people above personal
interests and political differences.
He said the progress of the state required the cooperation and commitment of all well-meaning citizens.
According to him, the group’s broad-based membership reflects a common determination among its members to
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support the governor’s second-term ambition while promoting peace, unity and development across Niger State.
Like Wike, Aliyu argued that people from different political backgrounds could work together when they shared a
common objective for the progress of their state.
Although the opposition PDP, to which he belongs, has a governorship candidate in the state, Mamman Nami, Aliyu
reaffirmed his support for Bago’s second-term bid, explaining that his position was informed by the need to sustain
development in the state.
He also hinged his support on the importance of respecting established political understandings and zoning
arrangements that have shaped the state’s political landscape from the period of the PDP administration to the
present APC government.
He noted that respect for such arrangements could help promote fairness, mutual understanding and political
stability among stakeholders.
Aliyu therefore urged political actors to approach questions of leadership succession with responsibility and due
consideration for the broader interest of the state.
The inauguration drew stakeholders from across the major political parties in the state, including some members of
the National Assembly.
