Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have declared that the party will not enter into any merger or coalition with other political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The governors made this resolution known in a communiqué issued on Monday following their meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The announcement comes amid growing calls from opposition leaders, including PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, for a united front to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the next election cycle. Atiku has been vocal in advocating a broad coalition of opposition parties to unseat the APC-led administration of President Bola Tinubu.
However, the PDP Governors’ Forum firmly ruled out any merger plans.
“Noting the nationwide speculations about possible merger of political parties, groups and/or associations, the Forum resolved that the PDP will not join any coalition or merger,” the communiqué stated.
While the governors shut the door on a merger, they noted that the PDP remains open to welcoming individuals, parties, or groups willing to join its ranks in the effort to wrest power from the APC in 2027.
The governors also used the meeting to express solidarity with the embattled Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, whose political feud with his predecessor and current FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has led to heightened tension in the state. They pledged continued support for Fubara as a fellow party member and governor.
In addition, the PDP governors voiced strong concern over the worsening insecurity across Nigeria, describing the situation as “alarming.”
They called for an urgent overhaul of the country’s security strategy, recommending a more decentralized approach that empowers state and local governments to play a more active role in protecting lives and property.
“There must be a review and reordering of priorities and strategies, including adopting a bottom-up template that guarantees the sub-nationals to constitute an effective line of defence against security breaches,” the communiqué added.
Present at the meeting were Governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), and Peter Mbah (Enugu).
The governors of Akwa Ibom and Delta States, Umo Eno and Sheriff Oborevwori, were represented by their deputies, Akon Eyakenyi and Monday Onyeme, respectively.
With this declaration, the PDP appears to be charting a solitary but assertive course to 2027, betting on internal reforms, grassroots mobilization, and defections from other parties to mount a credible challenge against the APC.
