The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Abubakar Sokoto, has called the new Rainbow Coalition a fresh stage in Nigeria’s long history of political partnerships and changes.
Abdullahi made this known in a statement in Sokoto on Tuesday. He urged Nigerians to back efforts that promote a free, fair, and credible general election in 2027.
He pointed out that the talks about the coalition are not new to Nigerian politics. Many political times have seen parties and groups come together to achieve common goals while keeping their identities.
According to him, what changes over time are the names, people, situations, and goals behind these partnerships.
Abdullahi mentioned the AD-APP joint presidential ticket of Chief Olu Falae and Umaru Shinkafi in 1999. He also referred to the Coalition of Progressive Political Parties before the 2015 elections and the merger of the ACN, CPC, and ANPP that led to the formation of the All Progressives Congress, which helped Muhammadu Buhari win in 2015.
“The greatest lesson from these experiences is that political coalitions are about people as much as they are about parties,” he said.
On the current political shift, Abdullahi noted that FCT Minister Nyesom Wike called the Rainbow Coalition a multi-party platform that supports President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027. He added that it is not an APC structure.
He said worries shared by some APC governors should be seen in the larger historical setting of political partnerships and changes in Nigeria.
The PDP candidate urged APC governors and party leaders to take a practical approach and collaborate with Wike. He described Wike as “a national leader and proven grassroots strategist, a master mobilizer for the Renewed Hope Agenda. Our main challenge today is not to debate who matters politically, but to ensure that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu wins decisively in 2027,” he said.
Abdullahi also mentioned what he sees as achievements of the Tinubu government. This includes its diplomatic efforts regarding the political crisis in Niger Republic, Nigeria’s foreign policy, the Sokoto-Badagry Highway project, and youth-focused programs like the Nigerian Education Loan Fund and Compressed Natural Gas initiative.
He said the government’s approach to the Niger crisis showed a preference for dialogue, which he linked to talks with Islamic scholars and traditional leaders.
As the country gears up for the 2027 elections, Abdullahi stated that the Rainbow Coalition should be seen as another chapter in Nigeria’s changing political story.
He concluded that supporters of the coalition must explain its goals to Nigerians, while the voters will ultimately decide how much support the platform gets through the democratic process.
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