On Wednesday, a new coalition consisting of seven opposition political parties was formed with the aim of enhancing democracy in the country. The Coalition of Concerned Political Parties was officially established in Abuja during a meeting of political party leaders held at the National Secretariat of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). The parties involved in the coalition are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Allied Movement (PAM), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
The formation of this coalition follows concerns raised by Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, who, during a meeting with the Inter-party Advisory Council (IPAC) in November, expressed worry about the country heading towards a one-party state. The opposition leaders recognized the need for unity in response to these concerns.
The coalition, while addressing the prevailing insecurity in the country, urged the judiciary to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy and maintain its independence from political and governmental influence. Shehu Gabam, the national chairman of SDP, emphasized the importance of a robust judiciary as the last hope for the common man and called for caution in the face of recent developments in states like Zamfara, Nasarawa, Kano, and Plateau.
Gabam clarified that the coalition is not advocating for a merger and expressed opposition to IPAC. Setonji Koshoedo, the acting national secretary of PDP, representing the party’s acting national chairman, Umar Damagum, highlighted that the coalition aims to provide a strong opposition. Chief Ralph Nwosu, the national chairman of ADC, stressed that the coalition’s objective is to strengthen democracy, citing instances of government officials attempting to stifle viable opposition.