Major PDP Leaders Hold Secret Meeting in Abuja: Atiku, David Mark, Ex-Governors Plan Mega Opposition Coalition Against Tinubu in 2027

Key figures in Nigeria’s opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday gathered for a crucial closed-door strategic meeting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, sparking widespread speculation about a possible major realignment ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The high-profile session, chaired by former Senate President David Mark, had in attendance former Vice President and 2023 PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, ex-PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus, and several former governors including Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), and Olagunsoye Oyinlola (Osun). Also present were Senator Abdul Ningi, former National Women Leader Josephine Anenih, and other notable party chieftains such as Kola Ologbondiyan and Abdullahi Maibasira.

Insiders revealed that the meeting focused on two major options:

A potential mass defection of the Atiku loyalist faction from the PDP to join or form a new broad-based opposition coalition.

Remaining within the PDP but building a powerful electoral alliance with other political platforms to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

The gathering comes amid growing internal crisis in the PDP, particularly over Atiku Abubakar’s widely rumored plan to contest the presidency again in 2027. Several party stakeholders, especially from the South, are reportedly opposed to another Atiku candidacy, insisting that power should return to the South to complete its tenure under the informal zoning arrangement.

Sources disclosed that a serving federal minister and a North-East governor are among those resisting Atiku’s 2027 ambition. Despite the pushback, Atiku and his close allies appear ready to explore all options, including exiting the PDP if the internal disagreements persist.

“This is the beginning of a bigger political movement,” one attendee reportedly said, adding that many other influential figures who could not attend the Abuja meeting are fully in support.

While no official statement has been released yet, multiple sources indicate that an announcement regarding either a restructured PDP or the birth of a new mega opposition coalition could be made in the coming days.

As the 2027 general elections draw closer, political observers believe the outcome of these deliberations could dramatically reshape Nigeria’s opposition landscape and determine whether President Bola Tinubu will face a united and formidable challenge in his re-election bid.