SOKOTO – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi, has declared support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, aligning himself with the Rainbow Coalition associated with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Abdullahi made the declaration on Sunday during a stakeholders’ meeting in Sokoto, where he outlined a political arrangement designed to bring interested PDP members into cooperation with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He said the proposed alliance would support Tinubu’s second-term ambition without requiring PDP members in Sokoto to abandon their party or withdraw their candidates from elective contests.
According to him, the arrangement provides an opportunity for political cooperation while preserving the PDP’s existing structures and participation in state-level elections.
“Our position is to work towards President Tinubu’s second-term ambition through the Rainbow Coalition, which we consider a strategic political platform for cooperation,” he said.
Abdullahi maintained that PDP members would continue to mobilise and campaign for the party’s candidates across Sokoto State.
“We are not abandoning our party structure or our candidates. We will continue to mobilise, canvass and campaign aggressively for PDP candidates seeking elective positions across Sokoto State in 2027,” he stated.
However, he disclosed that the coalition could accommodate tactical support for APC candidates in constituencies where PDP candidates lacked sufficient electoral strength.
He explained that members and supporters could be encouraged to support APC candidates in areas where the PDP lacked the necessary electoral support.
The governorship candidate also called on former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to reconsider his presidential ambition and join the emerging alliance in support of Tinubu.
“I want to appeal to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to reconsider his position and join this emerging political understanding rather than pursue an opposition agenda against President Tinubu’s second-term ambition,” he said.
Abdullahi further referenced a reported donation of vehicles by Atiku’s son in support of Tinubu’s re-election campaign, describing the gesture as evidence of support for the President within the former Vice-President’s immediate family.
He urged political leaders to prioritise collective interests, dialogue and broader consultations over partisan disagreements.
The declaration adds another dimension to the Rainbow Coalition’s cross-party mobilisation strategy ahead of the 2027 elections.
It also highlights the emerging political arrangement in which PDP members may retain their party identities and contest state-level elections while supporting an APC presidential candidate.
However, questions remain over how the proposed alliance will reconcile competing party interests, particularly where PDP and APC candidates are seeking the same elective positions.
The development also places Abdullahi’s political position within the wider debate over party loyalty, cross-party alliances and the configuration of opposition politics ahead of the 2027 general elections.
