Join NDC or take blame for opposition failure, Galadima tells Atiku

A chieftain of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, Buba Galadima, has urged former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to join the party, warning that he could be held responsible if opposition forces fail to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Galadima made the appeal on Monday while speaking on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television, where he said major opposition figures were already rallying under the NDC to build a formidable coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“The truth of the matter is that Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso migrated into the ADC; they brought unity of opposition to unseat Tinubu. Unfortunately, there are insinuations that the APC and the government used the courts to unseat the opposition.

“This is why I’m making this call on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to follow us as we followed him into the ADC, such that there will be unity of opposition to unseat this government, and if he refuses, Atiku will be held responsible,” he said.

Galadima warned that Atiku’s refusal to join the NDC could weaken efforts to consolidate the opposition bloc.

“The reality is that all the political gladiators are now in the NDC, and if anybody is outside, like Kwankwaso was outside and persuaded into the ADC, then we’re also pleading with Atiku to come into the NDC so that we can consolidate again and remove the incumbent government.

“If he refuses to do that, then he has now scuttled the unity of the opposition to unseat this government because he cannot continue to be in the ADC, or else he has agreed now to forfeit his right to contest in the 2027 election,” Galadima said.

His comments come amid ongoing political realignments following the defection of Obi and Kwankwaso to the NDC after consultations with party leaders, including its National Leader, Seriake Dickson.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress and allies of Atiku have denied reports suggesting that the former vice-president is set to defect to the NDC.

PUNCH Online had reported that Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi and ex-Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso have formally joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress, calling on members to avoid litigation and focus on advancing the nation’s development.

The two opposition heavyweights made the call on Sunday in Abuja during their formal reception into the party, amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Obi declared his switch to the NDC shortly after announcing his resignation from the African Democratic Congress, which he joined last December.