By Ayobami Okerinde

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

Galadima made the call while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, where he said key opposition figures were already aligning under the NDC to form a strong coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress.

His words, “The truth of the matter is that Peter Obi and Kwankwaso migrated into the ADC; they brought unity of opposition to unseat Tinubu. Unfortunately, there are insinuations that the APC, the government and, by extension, Tinubu 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 a unity of opposition to unseat this government, and if he refuses, Atiku will be held responsible.

Galadima warned that refusal to join the NDC could undermine efforts to unify opposition forces, adding that the former vice-president would bear responsibility if the coalition fails to achieve its objective.

“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’s statement comes after key opposition figures, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, and the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Vanguard reported that the duo made the move last Sunday during a visit to the residence of the National Leader of the NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, where they held consultations with party leaders.

Meanwhile, on Monday, the ADC and allies of Atiku denied reports of the former vice president’s defection to the NDC.

Responding to the reports, Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, told Vanguard there were no such talks involving the former vice president and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola.

“If that is the case, I will be the first to know. I don’t think that there’s anything like that,” Ibe said when contacted.

The post 2027: ‘Join NDC now, or face blame for opposition failure,’ Galadima warns Atiku appeared first on Vanguard News.