2027: Opposition can’t unseat Tinubu without merger – PDP chair, Damagum

Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Damagum, says his party remains the strongest opposition party in the country.

He however stressed that no merger without the PDP would be strong enough to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Damagum spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa Service on Tuesday, in reaction to earlier comments by the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso ruling out an alliance with the PDP and the Labour Party in 2027.

Damagum stated there would have been no Kwankwaso without the PDP, saying he had his political grooming in the main opposition party before leaving.

He dismissed Kwankwaso’s assertion that the PDP was dead, stating that the party remains the only opposition party still winning governorship elections across the country.

Damagum said, “People are entitled to their opinions, but I want to remind him (Kwankwaso) of the past. When they left the PDP in 2015, if the party didn’t die back then, during a time they thought they had weakened it, I don’t see why anyone would claim it is dead now.

“Let’s not forget that the PDP remains the only party capable of winning elections if you exclude the ruling APC.

“That said, there is no party better than the PDP for Kwankwaso. The party nurtured his political career and brought him to where he is today. We still hope he will return to work with us to rebuild our party and confront this oppressive government.”

The PDP chairman highlighted the party’s resilience and continued influence, pointing to its lasting structure and widespread presence throughout Nigeria.

He stated, “The PDP is the only party that has consistently won elections without being in power. Senator Kwankwaso may have left, but how many states did he win with his new party? The facts speak for themselves.

“For over two decades, the PDP has remained steadfast, maintaining its identity and producing governors and lawmakers in every part of the country. Even if four parties merge without the PDP, they cannot win an election. We’ve seen this play out repeatedly. Where are those parties now? Even their alliances with other parties have not delivered the desired results.

“I admit that some of his claims about the challenges we faced back then are valid. As the Deputy National Chairman (North) at the time, my powers were limited, but we tried to resolve the issues. Unfortunately, those efforts fell short. He himself acknowledged this in previous interviews.”