A chieftain of the National Democratic Congress, Buba Galadima, has urged former presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar to join forces with Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in the party to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Mr Galadima, who made the appeal in a Channels TV interview on Monday, said Mr Abubakar’s failure to do that might jeopardise his right to contest the presidency in 2027.

“I am making this call for the (former) vice-president, Atiku Abubakar, to follow us to the NDC, just as we followed him to the ADC, to unseat the APC government,” the politician stated. “He cannot continue to be in the ADC. If he fails to do that, he should be held responsible for whatever happens to the opposition. He also agrees to forfeit his right to contest in the 2027 elections.”

Describing the NDC as a site of political gladiators, Mr Galadima reiterated the need for opposition forces to unify to defeat Mr Tinubu next year.

“All the political gladiators are now in the NDC. Obi and Kwankwaso migrated to the NDC to unify opposition forces in the party and enable them to unseat President Bola Tinubu. Unfortunately, there are insinuations that Tinubu and by extension this government use the court to scatter the opposition,” he added.

In November last year, Mr Abubakar defected to the African Democratic Congress.