Buhari’s CPC Bloc Set to Challenge Tinubu as Coalition Awaits Atiku, Peter Obi on Alliance Structure

Buhari’s CPC Bloc Set to Challenge Tinubu as Coalition Awaits Atiku, Peter Obi on Alliance Structure

 

 

 

In what could become a major political shake-up ahead of the 2027 presidential elections, key figures from the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), a political party once led by former President Muhammadu Buhari, are reportedly finalizing plans to join a proposed grand coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu.

 

The coalition, informally dubbed a “rainbow alliance,” brings together politicians from across party lines.

 

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But while momentum is building, cracks are appearing over commitment levels, with the camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi yet to fully buy into the plan.

 

Sources within the CPC caucus confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that their group has completed arrangements to fold into the coalition, and has already identified a preferred presidential candidate for the 2027 race—though the identity of this figure remains tightly guarded.

 

However, the coalition’s broader success appears to hinge on whether Atiku and Obi, two political heavyweights from the 2023 elections, will formally collapse their structures into the alliance. For now, both camps remain undecided.

 

“There’s still no final word from Peter Obi’s camp,” one source noted, citing internal strife within the Labour Party and influence from unnamed external political backers.

 

The Obidient Movement, which helped propel Obi’s popularity during the last election, is itself fractured between rival party factions led by Senator Nenadi Usman, Comrade Julius Abure, and Lamidi Apanpa.

 

Atiku, meanwhile, has publicly distanced himself from talks of leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), despite internal turmoil and recent high-profile defections—including that of his former running mate, Ifeanyi Okowa, to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

 

 

While he previously stated that “the coalition train has left the station,” sources close to him suggest his participation remains uncertain, particularly as he weighs whether to contest again in 2027.

 

“There is hesitation. The harmonisation of structures hasn’t been finalized, and Atiku’s own intentions remain unclear. That’s the main headache,” another insider said.

 

The planned unveiling of a new political party by the coalition in May 2025 adds urgency to the situation. CPC loyalists, emboldened by the internal divisions within both the PDP and Labour Party, are prepared to lead the charge—with or without the full support of other opposition camps.

 

Meanwhile, the coalition’s promoters are reportedly grappling with attempts by pro-government operatives to infiltrate and destabilize their ranks.

 

“Agents of the Presidency have infiltrated all the opposition parties,” one coalition insider claimed, warning of coordinated efforts to derail their unity project.

 

Despite the challenges, coalition leaders appear determined to push forward. Whether they can successfully align Nigeria’s fragmented opposition—and agree on a common front against President Tinubu—remains the critical question in the evolving political landscape.