The 2027 coalition members, such as Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi, have vowed to stop President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
They spoke during a public lecture marking Amaechi’s 60th birthday. The lecture was themed “Weaponisation of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria.”
At the event, the 2027 Coalition Members sharply criticized Tinubu over insecurity, hunger, and poverty in Nigeria.
According to the report, Atiku, the PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate, accused Tinubu’s government of weaponising poverty.
He said, “You may call me a conspirator, you may call me anything.” Atiku added, “That is why we are in this alliance — to make sure we don’t allow them to continue weaponising poverty.”
He stated that the government had failed to meet expectations and had used poverty as a political tool. He declared, “What we are experiencing in Nigeria today is state-sanctioned weaponisation of poverty.”
Atiku recalled his childhood in Kano State, describing it as once a prosperous area. “When I was growing up in the North, Kano State was the most prosperous,” he said.
He added, “I never saw people sleeping outside — not under bridges, not in front of shops.”
However, on a recent visit, the former Vice President saw people sleeping on the streets.
He said, “They began their work — relocating people from under bridges, enlightening them, helping them.” Then, the officials ordered the work to stop.
In his words, Amaechi condemned poverty and insecurity, urging unity among the opposition for the 2027 elections.
He said, “We are all hungry, all of us are.” Speaking further, he said, “If we are serious, we can remove this man from power.”
Amaechi also emphasized, “We must unite and be committed if we want to get out of this problem,” warning that “Hunger doesn’t recognise tribe or religion.”
Additionally, the former Governor and Minister criticized the current government for exacerbating poverty and crime.
He explained that, “This government has made people poorer, and that has increased insecurity.” Also, he reminded Nigerians, “The power to remove underperforming leaders lies with the people, not politicians.”
Therefore, he declared, “If we are serious about change, the people have the power to make it happen.”
Also, in his speech, Amaechi revealed why he refused to support Tinubu in 2023.
“I told Tinubu in Yola: I will not support you; I will not work for you,” he revealed and added that, “Some of us voted along ethnic and religious lines.”
He, however, blamed manipulation of uneducated voters for the political situation, lamenting the political elite’s selfishness.
“The benefits of the fuel subsidy removal? They’re sitting in the pockets of the elite,” he said.
Similarly, El-Rufai called Nigeria’s situation the worst since 1914 while speaking at the event.
“Nigeria is in its biggest trouble since 1914,” he said. The immediate past Kaduna Governor blamed “urban bandits” for the country’s decline.
He explained, “We’ve allowed bandits, not the ones in the bush but those in urban areas.”
El-Rufai said, “Our biggest problem is that we hand over power to people who have no idea what to do.” Therefore, he urged voters to choose leaders with “competence, capability, capacity, and commitment.”
Meanwhile, Peter Obi is one of the 2027 Coalition Members. The former Anambra Governor, however, claimed that he would contest for the 2027 presidency as the Labour Party’s candidate, as he did during the 2023 election.
