Atiku, el-Rufai, Tanko form coalition to challenge Tinubu in 2027

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, alongside other key political figures, has announced the formation of a new opposition coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.

The announcement was made during a press conference at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Thursday, where Atiku, flanked by former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Labour Party spokesperson Yunusa Tanko, and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha, addressed journalists.

Responding to a question on whether the gathering signalled the launch of a coalition to remove Tinubu from office, Atiku confirmed, “Yes.”

The opposition leaders strongly condemned Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State, which led to the suspension of elected officials, including Governor Siminalayi Fubara and Deputy Governor Ngozi Odu. Atiku described the action as unconstitutional and an overreach of presidential powers, calling on Nigerians to reject it.

“We have come together to address the dangerous and unconstitutional actions taken by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, on March 18, 2025—to wit, the declaration of a state of emergency in Rivers State and the illegal suspension of the democratically elected governor, deputy governor, and state House of Assembly,” Atiku stated.

“This action is not only unlawful but also a clear subversion of democracy and an imposition of autocratic federal control over a duly elected state government,” he continued.

Atiku accused Tinubu of failing to follow due process, arguing that the Nigerian Constitution does not empower the president to remove a sitting governor. He cited Section 305 of the 1999 Constitution, which allows a state of emergency only in extreme situations threatening national security, sovereignty, or public safety.

“Section 305 of the Constitution allows the President to declare a state of emergency only in extreme cases where public safety, national security, or Nigeria’s sovereignty is at serious risk. However, it does not grant him the power to suspend elected officials or to demolish democratic structures as he has brazenly done,” he said.

He further pointed out that even if Tinubu’s emergency declaration were valid, it would require a two-thirds majority approval from the National Assembly, which had not been obtained.

Atiku accused the federal government of using the crisis in Rivers State as a pretext for political control. “Rather than allowing the law to take its course, the federal government has engineered a crisis to justify this obviously premeditated and brazenly cynical unconstitutional action,” he said.

The coalition called on the National Assembly to reject Tinubu’s declaration and urged the judiciary to strike it down to prevent a precedent that could be used to arbitrarily remove elected governors in the future.

Atiku also referenced past administrations that declared emergency rule in conflict-ridden areas without removing governors, arguing that Tinubu’s decision represents “a new low for our country.”

Among the opposition leaders present at the press conference were Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi (represented by Yunusa Tanko), former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties Peter Ahmeh.

Other prominent politicians, including former governors Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), and former APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, were absent but sent their apologies.

The newly formed coalition signaled the start of what could become a major political movement ahead of the 2027 elections, with leaders pledging to unite opposition forces against Tinubu’s administration.