Atiku, Makinde Stir 2027 Permutations With Parallel Presidential Moves

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Thursday returned his presidential nomination documents to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) formally signalling his entry into the party’s race for the 2027 presidential election.

The development came as the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, announced his decision to seek the presidency on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) further reshaping the evolving opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 general election.

The parallel developments have intensified political calculations within opposition circles, especially amid growing speculation over possible alliance talks between the camps of Atiku and Makinde.

Atiku is widely regarded as the dominant force within the ADC coalition movement, while Makinde has emerged as the leading figure in a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) currently embroiled in an internal legitimacy crisis.

The crisis within the PDP deepened following a recent judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which effectively weakened both the Makinde-aligned bloc and another faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

In the aftermath of the ruling, the Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Senator Adolphus Wabara, convened a meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) in a bid to stabilise the party.

The NEC meeting, presided over by Wabara, subsequently constituted an interim national leadership for the party and appointed Mr. Kabiru Turaki as interim national chairman.

The Turaki-led leadership has since commenced the sale of nomination forms to aspirants seeking elective offices on the PDP platform, despite objections and protests from the Wike-aligned faction.

At the ADC secretariat in Abuja, Atiku’s return of his nomination forms drew a massive crowd of supporters, creating a chaotic atmosphere that disrupted activities around the venue.

Attempts by journalists to speak with the former vice president after he submitted the documents were unsuccessful as jubilant supporters surged around him.

The situation reportedly degenerated when a door leading to the hall where aspirants were submitting their forms was damaged after supporters struggled to gain access to the venue.

As of the time of filing this report, it remained unclear whether ongoing alliance discussions between the Atiku and Makinde camps would still proceed in light of Makinde’s decision to enter the presidential race on a separate platform.