Obol Okoi Obono-Obla, a former presidential adviser to Muhammadu Buhari, has demanded a coalition of the country’s most prominent opposition groups, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), and others.
A statement from governing party stalwart Obono-Obla claimed that he has welcomed a similar appeal from former PDP presidential contender Atiku Abubakar.
“I wholeheartedly support Atiku Abubakar’s call for the unification of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), and other disparate political groups into a single political party to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC),” he declared. I think that’s a good first step.
This is in keeping with Obono-Obla’s earlier plea for Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, the LP’s presidential candidate, to join forces politically instead of wasting time moping about their loss in the general election on February 25, 2023, as he put it.
The APC has evolved into a gigantic organization, says Obono-Obla, who also claims that the PDP, LP, SDP, and NNPP will not be able to defeat it in the next election.
He expressed his belief that the APC had strayed from its initial ideology, scope, and perspective to some extent.
In his view, the APC has lost its progressive credentials as it has become a jumble of different political interests, philosophies, and odd adherents.
The APC leadership would definitely take notice if these opposition parties merged.
A lot of people in the APC are getting angry about how the leadership is treating the party’s loyal members.
“In the annals of Nigerian politics, the APC has ushered in a new era of institutionalized political prostitution and opportunism.”
The activist said that the ruling party prioritizes particular members’ applications for party tickets over those of the party’s own loyal and devoted members.
In addition, he claims that the party prioritized appointees who joined the party in the two years leading up to an election above long-term members who had dedicated themselves to the cause since 2010.
He thinks that by joining forces, these political groups will hasten APC’s transformation and help the country’s new democratic culture take root and grow.