Atiku, Tambuwal, El-Rufai-led Coalition Moves To ‘Capture’ Niger-Delta

As preparations for the 2027 presidential election intensify, the Coalition 2027, spearheaded by key opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai, is making significant inroads in the Niger Delta.

This effort to forge a political coalition against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has seen the involvement of strategic stakeholders in the region, raising concerns within the ruling party.

The coalition’s leaders have already reached out to influential Ijaw political figures and former militant leaders to rally support for their cause, particularly following the state of emergency declared in Rivers State by President Tinubu.

The emergency rule, which suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara, an Ijaw man, his deputy, and the state assembly, has been met with widespread opposition from the Ijaw ethnic group, further galvanizing the coalition’s efforts.

In response to the situation, Atiku has reportedly contacted former heads of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), who have begun mobilizing Ijaw leaders to join the coalition.

The movement has also enlisted the help of ex-militant leaders from the Niger Delta, who are tasked with organizing support in key states like Rivers, Bayelsa, and Edo/Ondo.

Despite the ongoing efforts to build a strong opposition coalition, the ruling party has dismissed these actions. Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, rejected the coalition’s claims, stating that President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are focused on governance and economic reform, rather than the 2027 election.

“The attempts by despairing power grabbers to create crises within the presidency will not succeed in 2027,” Nkwocha said, emphasizing that the administration is committed to economic recovery and improved living standards for Nigerians. He highlighted the Central Bank of Nigeria’s surplus of $6.83 billion for the 2024 fiscal year as evidence of the success of President Tinubu’s economic reforms.

“Whether we like it or not, there is no way any government can be put in place without the votes of the Ijaw ethnic nationality. No one can ignore our votes because we know our electoral value in Nigeria.

“The next presidential election is going to be an eye opener for all – that no one can toy with our over six million votes across the Niger Delta. The mobilisation has commenced already. Initially, we were lethargic, but with the ordeal of the Rivers governor, an Ijaw man, we have resolved to work with the coalition to teach the APC a lesson come 2027.

“We cannot fold our arms and allow one individual to manipulate our future because of his inordinate ambition. Unfortunately, all those who ought to speak up are quiet because of the patronage they enjoy from the current system. They are silent because they appear to have everything, to the exclusion of other stakeholders like them,” a source told Leadership.

While the ruling party has downplayed the coalition’s efforts, key figures within the opposition coalition, such as former vice president Timi Frank, have pointed to the growing disillusionment with the current administration.

Frank, who hails from Bayelsa State, confirmed that the coalition is gaining momentum in the Niger Delta and across the southern part of the country.

The coalition has capitalized on the discontent with the administration’s handling of the country’s economic and security challenges, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies and inflationary pressures.

“People are just tired of this administration,” Frank said, accusing the ruling party’s figures in the region of losing credibility and betraying the people.

“They don’t have credibility anymore. They have since lost the credibility of the people. They are seen to have betrayed the people, which they have. It is the people who are hungry, not those ones in power.

“They only know how to steal elections by writing results or buying votes. But the people are very vigilant now. They will not be able to steal votes this time around because the people are fed up and vigilant,” Frank said.

In the Niger Delta, the political value of the Ijaw ethnic group cannot be overlooked. With over six million votes in the region, the coalition’s leaders are confident that they can mobilize significant support against the ruling party in the 2027 elections.

Speaking on the coalition movement, Nkwocha said, “Let me make it categorically clear that neither President Tinubu nor his deputy, Senator Shettima, is bothered about 2027 politics for now. At the moment, they are focused on the pressing issues of governance.

“What is paramount to them are ongoing efforts to turn around the nation’s economic fortunes for the benefit of the Nigerian people.

“Vice President Shettima, in particular, is more concerned about programmes and strategic government interventions that will actualise the policies and vision of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, and he has been working round the clock to give his principal the maximum support he needs to move the nation forward.

“If at all there is anything the presidency is considering regarding the next election, it is how these policies and programmes would impact positively on the lives of the citizens who are the ones to cross-check properly whether President Tinubu deserves a second term or not.

“You can agree with me that the administration has done a lot in wriggling the nation out of the economic morass it was hitherto enmeshed in. Recently, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) declared an unsurpassed surplus of $6.83 billion for the 2024 fiscal year. This shows that President Tinubu’s economic reforms are yielding significant results.”