Buba Galadima says Atiku should join the NDC bloc to strengthen opposition unity ahead of 2027, warning of blame if talks fail.
A fresh push for opposition unity is unfolding as Buba Galadima, a senior figure in the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), asked former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to formally join the party.
In remarks reported by Misryoum, Galadima warned that Atiku could face political blame if opposition forces do not successfully unite ahead of the 2027 general elections. He tied the outcome of ongoing coalition efforts to whether major actors, including Atiku, align with the emerging bloc.
Galadima’s message hinges on the idea that momentum is already building toward a more consolidated opposition platform, with several prominent figures positioning themselves within the NDC.
This kind of call matters because coalition politics in Nigeria often turns on timing and trust, where one high-profile hesitation can ripple into broader coordination problems.
Speaking on a political programme, Galadima pointed to earlier movement of figures he described as part of shifts within other parties, saying the movement brought opposition together to challenge the ruling establishment.. He urged Atiku to follow a similar path, presenting unity as the only workable route to challenge the government.
He also framed the choice for Atiku in terms of consequences. Galadima said that if Atiku declines to join, he believes Atiku would be held responsible for the collapse of what he called the opposition’s cohesion plans ahead of 2027.
Misryoum understands that the comments come as consultation reports circulate around Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, both linked to evolving opposition coordination efforts after leaving the ADC.. Galadima’s stance suggests the NDC leadership is trying to keep talks focused on bringing key voices under one umbrella rather than letting parallel ambitions harden.
At the same time, the warning to Atiku underscores a wider concern in opposition realignment: when stakeholders compare routes instead of coordinating decisions, the resulting fragmentation can weaken negotiating power.
Still, Atiku’s camp has rejected claims of any planned defection. His media adviser, Paul Ibe, said there were no discussions pointing to a move to the NDC and dismissed the idea as something he would have known about first.
Critics of Atiku have previously cited the 2023 presidential outcome as an example of how opposition divisions can prove costly, pointing to a campaign structure that ran candidates separately rather than under a single consensus approach.. They argue that lessons from those events should shape current preparation, especially to avoid late-stage bargaining that forces contenders into separate tracks again.