2027: Why proposed merger of opposition parties will not remove Tinubu from seat – Osita Okechukwu

Former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, Osita Okechukwu, has shed light on why the recent calls for a merger among opposition political parties to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, are unlikely to succeed.

Okechukwu, a founding member of the APC, shared his views on Sunday in Enugu in response to the recent merger proposals championed by Prof. Pat Utomi and former Vice-President Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. They made these comments while discussing the recent presidential election in Senegal.

The former VON boss emphasized that these calls lack a solid contextual foundation and dynamic strategy.

Recall that there has been a strong push for a merger by Utomi, Atiku, and various figures from major opposition parties, all while congratulating Bassirou Faye, Senegal’s President-elect, for achieving a victory similar to what the ruling APC accomplished in 2015.

Okechukwu, who was part of the merger committee that facilitated the APC’s emergence as a formidable opposition in 2013, outlined several reasons why these recent merger proposals and the premises on which they are based should be outrightly dismissed.

“Firstly, the idea of opposition political parties forming a robust coalition to unseat the APC, akin to the defeat of the PDP in 2015, overlooks the distinct circumstances and dynamics currently at play.

“Secondly, the removal of an incumbent President should not be reduced to a mere political game, but rather a conscientious effort to replace an underperforming administration.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, steadfast and effective, continues to deliver, with increased allocations to state governments,” stated the APC stalwart.