A coalition opposing President Bola Tinubu, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has criticized PDP governors for undermining efforts to build a united front against the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

Their reaction follows the PDP Governors’ Forum meeting on Monday, April 14, where the governors rejected the idea of forming a larger opposition alliance with other parties and politicians.

In a statement from coalition spokesperson Salihu Moh Lukman, he said the coalition is not just a strategy to unseat Tinubu and the APC, but a necessary move to protect Nigeria’s democracy from collapse.

He accused the PDP of wasting over a decade in opposition without rebuilding itself into a credible alternative. “Rather than stepping up, the party remained inactive while Tinubu’s APC took over completely,” he said.

Lukman argued that the PDP’s current state is beyond saving, and its governors are simply pretending to offer leadership while knowing they’ve lost the people’s trust. According to him, Nigerians no longer see the PDP as a true alternative because its structure and leadership have already been taken over by the ruling party.

He pointed fingers at Minister Nyesom Wike, calling him Tinubu’s key player within the PDP. He claimed Wike’s role isn’t about his performance in the FCT but about keeping the PDP too weak to challenge Tinubu in the next election.

Lukman also alleged that the real plan now is to revive the PDP just enough to serve as a spoiler in 2027, dividing the opposition vote to favor the APC. He accused the governors of helping this plan, whether they know it or not, while pretending to stand for democracy.