2027: Adeyanju, Suleiman weigh obstacles to Atiku’s merger call

<p>Mixed reactions have continued to trail the call for merger by major opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.</p>, <p>The call came from former vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.</p>, <p>Abubakar was the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in the last presidential election.</p>, <p>While the Labour Party, LP, appears indisposed to the call, the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, has come out to embrace the initiative.</p>, <p>In 2015, former President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, defeated then President Goodluck Jonathan, all thanks to a merger by a number of opposition political parties.</p>, <p>Atiku believes only the same magic can send the APC packing in 2027.</p>, <p>“The truth of the matter is that our democracy is fast becoming a one-party system, and of course, you know that when we have a one-party system, we should just forget about democracy. We have all seen how the APC is increasingly turning Nigeria into a dictatorship of one party.</p>, <p>“If we don’t come together to challenge what the ruling party is trying to create, our democracy will suffer for it, and the consequences of it will affect the generations yet unborn. The project of protecting democracy in our country is not about just one man,” he said.</p>, <p>Agreeing with him, an Abuja-based communication strategist, Murkthar Suleiman said a stronger merger among the opposition political parties might oust Tinubu and APC administration from office in 2027.</p>, <p>Suleiman told DAILY POST: “A merger is good because it will create a stronghold. Do I think we should run a multi-party system? Not really, but that’s where we find ourselves.</p>, <p>“In 2015, Buhari won only because he formed a stronger opposition. A stronger opposition is good because it keeps the incumbent on their toes; they know a formidable force is watching against them in their next election, and they might definitely lose if they are not careful.</p>, <p>“On one hand, I will say yes, it’s good, and it should h