…Labour Party’s GRV pushes for united opposition bloc
…Says coalition talks near conclusion, platform to be announced soon
Labour Party chieftain and 2023 Lagos governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (GRV), has said that the political coalition between Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi will be strong enough to remove President Bola Tinubu from office in the 2027 general elections, if the opposition avoids another split in votes.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Lunchtime Politics on Tuesday, Rhodes-Vivour said ongoing discussions among opposition figures are focused on realigning political forces under one platform to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said: “The only way that we can move this country forward in terms of the opposition is to come together.
“We cannot afford to divide our votes again. Add Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s votes to His Excellency Peter Obi’s votes, they’ll completely take out the current sitting President.”
According to him, arrangements are in top gear and the political party that will serve as the unified platform will be announced “within days.”
“We are working to put a coalition together… and everybody is coming together. That’s our main focus,” he stated.
Although Atiku, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has been leading the coalition push, there is yet no formal confirmation of Obi’s full commitment to the plan, fuelling speculations among his base.
Recall that note had the two opposition leaders merged efforts in the 2023 election as they did in 2019 Tinubu’s 8.7 million votes could have been overtaken by their combined total of 13 million.
Meanwhile, internal sources say the APC is preparing for an intense 2027 battle, especially in swing states like Oyo, where the ruling party plans to reclaim lost ground.
