Ibadan meeting: Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso still have opportunity for grand alliance: Ologbondiyan

Kola Ologbondiyan's years of experience shaping the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) public communication have given him a unique vantage point to witness Nigeria's political twists and realignments. Now, as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, Ologbondiyan is at the centre of fresh efforts to forge a formidable opposition ahead of the 2027 general election. For Ologbondiyan, the decision reached at the Ibadan meeting among opposition parties to explore a grand alliance is a beacon of hope for a united opposition. The stakes for Ologbondiyan and the ADC are high as they seek to mount a credible challenge to President Bola Tinubu's administration.

The Ibadan meeting brought together opposition parties to discuss a proposed grand alliance, a move that Ologbondiyan believes has the potential to rescue Nigeria from its current trajectory. The ADC's decision to host the meeting and facilitate discussions between opposition parties has been seen as a crucial step in realigning the opposition. According to Ologbondiyan, the majority of opposition parties at the meeting agreed to work together in the direction of rescuing the nation. However, the decision to leave the ADC coalition by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso in May has raised concerns about the opposition's ability to present a united front. The numbers behind the grand alliance are crucial, and Ologbondiyan believes that if opposition parties can read the game properly, they still have the opportunity for the alliance.

Ologbondiyan's experience in the PDP has given him insight into the party's challenges and the reasons behind its lingering crisis. As a former National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ologbondiyan played a key role in shaping the party's public communication. His move to the ADC has been seen as a crucial step in building a united opposition, and Ologbondiyan believes that his experience will be essential in navigating the ADC's mission. The ADC's decision to host the Ibadan meeting and facilitate discussions between opposition parties has been seen as a crucial step in realigning the opposition. Ologbondiyan's journey from the PDP to the ADC has given him a unique perspective on the challenges facing the opposition and the potential for a grand alliance.

Ologbondiyan's analysis of the opposition's chances focuses on the economic factor, which he believes will be President Tinubu's biggest test in 2027. According to Ologbondiyan, hungry Nigerians will give Tinubu sleepless nights, not the opposition. The economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians has the potential to undermine Tinubu's administration and create opportunities for the opposition. Ologbondiyan believes that the opposition's ability to present a united front and offer a credible alternative to Tinubu's administration will depend on their ability to address the economic challenges facing the country.

While Ologbondiyan's optimism about the grand alliance is encouraging, the road ahead for the opposition is uncertain. The decision to leave the ADC coalition by Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso has raised concerns about the opposition's ability to present a united front. However, Ologbondiyan believes that the opposition still has the opportunity for the grand alliance, and his experience in the PDP and the ADC has given him a unique perspective on the challenges facing the opposition. As the opposition parties continue to realign and work towards a grand alliance, Ologbondiyan's analysis suggests that the economic factor will be a crucial determining factor in the outcome of the 2027 general election.

As the 2027 general election approaches, the opposition's chances of presenting a united front and mounting a credible challenge to President Tinubu's administration will depend on their ability to navigate the complex web of alliances and rivalries within the opposition. While Ologbondiyan's optimism about the grand alliance is encouraging, the road ahead for the opposition is uncertain, and the outcome of the election will depend on a variety of factors, including the opposition's ability to address the economic challenges facing the country.