The coalition of opposition leaders, fronted by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, has begun implementing a discreet and strategic approach in preparation for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The group, made up of prominent political figures and influential party leaders, is abandoning public displays in favour of low-profile, closed-door consultations—some of which are now being held outside the country.
It is understood that the decision to move discussions offshore stems from fears of surveillance and infiltration. Meetings held within Nigeria, once standard practice, are now viewed as compromised. The coalition’s leadership believes that sensitive information has repeatedly found its way into the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), prompting a conscious overhaul of its operations.
Some embassies, it was gathered, are providing logistical support to facilitate meetings abroad, where opposition leaders can operate with a greater sense of privacy and strategic control. Within the country, only the most trusted allies are reportedly involved in local meetings, often in off-grid or private locations.
The fresh strategy comes amid ongoing internal crises plaguing several opposition parties. Party insiders have accused the APC of weaponising institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to create or deepen divisions within their ranks by manipulating party leadership recognition processes.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu, during his June 12 Democracy Day address to the National Assembly, appeared to mock the struggles of the opposition parties.
“It is, indeed, a pleasure to witness you in such disarray. We must welcome and accept the diversity and number of political parties. I will not help you put your house in order,” the president stated.
Tinubu also defended the ruling party’s recent intake of defectors, including Governors Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State and Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State, calling it “political malpractice” to reject them. He likened opposition parties to “sinking ships from which members escaped.”
The article was originally published on Politics Nigeria.
