A member of the opposition coalition led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the immediate past Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has denied reports suggesting that the coalition has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its preferred political platform.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, Salihu Lukman, a stakeholder in the coalition and former National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), labeled the claims as false and misleading. Lukman, who also served as the Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, stated that media reports of his appointment to lead the coalition’s secretariat were equally untrue and likely intended to create discord among coalition members.
The clarification follows reports that the coalition had chosen the ADC as its platform amidst a wave of defections by opposition leaders and lawmakers to the APC. Lukman emphasized that consultations among coalition stakeholders were still ongoing and assured the public that any final decision would be formally announced.
Earlier, Babachir Lawal, another prominent coalition member and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, ruled out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as a potential platform, describing it as an “incurable virus.”
Lukman’s statement urged the public to disregard the speculative reports, asserting, “The truth is negotiations among all the coalition leaders are progressing very well, and final decisions about the political platform for the 2027 election will be taken soon. Unfortunately, there appears to be some mischief makers promoting and planting stories in the media with the clear aim of sowing seeds of discord among coalition leaders.”
He reiterated the coalition’s commitment to unity and assured stakeholders that progress was being made in identifying a political platform that aligns with their goals for the upcoming elections.
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