PDP, NNPP, Others Form Coalition

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Thursday, December 7th, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – On Thursday, a group of seven opposition political parties formed a new coalition as they strive to strengthen democracy in the country and wrestle power away from the ruling ALL Progressive Congress (APC).

The movement tagged the Coalition of Concerned Political Parties was established in Abuja during a meeting attended by leaders of the political parties at the National Secretariat of the Social Democratic Party.

The coalition is made up of the Peoples Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party, Peoples Allied Movement, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Young Progressives Party, and Zenith Labour Party.

According to news reports, the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, while hosting a delegation of the Inter-party Advisory Council in November, lamented that Nigeria is falling into a one-state party and he tasked the opposition to see the need for unity.

Talking about the importance of the coalition, the National Chairman of the SDP, Shehu Gabam said: “We looked into the issue of the judiciary. The judiciary is the last hope of the common man if it still stands.

“We are worried about the level of instability the country is going through. If you look at recent developments in Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kano, and Plateau states, it is very clear that the judiciary must exercise extreme caution with some of its decisions. The judiciary should strengthen their conviction towards delivering judgments that can stand the test of time. They should not allow we politicians to infiltrate their rank, sanity, and capacity to deliver judgments that are internationally sound and can be recognised.”

Also speaking at the meeting, the acting National Secretary of the PDP, Setonji Koshoedo, who represented the acting party’s national chairman, Umar Damagum, disclosed that the coalition will offer a strong opposition.

On his part, the national chairman of the ADC, Chief Ralph Nwosu, stated that the idea behind the coalition “is to strengthen our democracy. We have seen that people in government are trying to stiffen viable opposition”.