Sokoto State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abubakar Abdullahi Sokoto, has described the emerging Rainbow Coalition as part of Nigeria's long tradition of political alliances and realignments. Abdullahi stated this in a statement issued in Sokoto on Monday. He defined a political coalition as an arrangement in which different parties or political groups work together towards a common objective while retaining their individual identities.
Abdullahi cited examples of past coalitions in Nigeria's history, including the alliance between the Northern People's Congress and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons in the First Republic. This alliance produced Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as Prime Minister and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe as Governor-General and later President. He also mentioned the NPN-NPP accord during the Second Republic, which resulted in the appointment of prominent NPP members as ministers.
The PDP candidate noted that disagreements over political interests eventually weakened the NPN-NPP accord, demonstrating that the success of coalitions depends largely on how competing interests are managed. He referenced the AD-APP joint presidential ticket of Chief Olu Falae and Umaru Shinkafi in 1999 and the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties ahead of the 2015 elections.
Abdullahi also mentioned the merger of the ACN, CPC, and ANPP, which culminated in the formation of the APC. He stated that the greatest lesson from these experiences is that political coalitions are about people as much as they are about parties. The PDP candidate commented on the current political development, stating that FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, described the Rainbow Coalition as a multi-party platform working to mobilise support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 election.
Abdullahi noted Wike's position that the coalition was not an APC structure, adding that concerns reportedly raised by some APC governors should be viewed against the background of Nigeria's history of political alliances. He called on APC governors and party leaders to work with Wike, describing him as "a national leader and proven grassroots strategist, a master mobilizer for the Renewed Hope Agenda."
The governorship candidate listed key achievements of the Tinubu administration, including Nigeria's diplomatic response to the Niger Republic crisis, its foreign policy engagements, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway project, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, and the Compressed Natural Gas initiative. He said the government's approach to the Niger crisis demonstrated the importance of dialogue and consultation with traditional rulers and Islamic scholars.
Abdullahi stated that the Rainbow Coalition should be seen as another development in Nigeria's evolving political landscape as the country approaches the 2027 elections. He added that those promoting the coalition had a responsibility to explain its objectives to Nigerians, while the electorate would ultimately determine its level of acceptance through the democratic process.
Key points
- The Sokoto PDP governorship candidate, Abubakar Abdullahi Sokoto, supports the emerging Rainbow Coalition, describing it as part of Nigeria's long tradition of political alliances.
- Abdullahi cited examples of past coalitions in Nigeria's history, including the alliance between the Northern People's Congress and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons.
- The PDP candidate called on APC governors and party leaders to work with FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, describing him as "a national leader and proven grassroots strategist".
