Youth groups meet Atiku, demand inclusion in opposition coalition

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar says some youth groups have expressed interest in joining the ongoing coalition by opposition leaders.

In a post on X on Monday, the former vice-president said members of the coalition of youth representatives, a multi-party alliance of politically active young Nigerians led by AbdulAziz Akinsanya, paid him a visit and presented a document outlining how their participation could strengthen the emerging opposition coalition.

“Our efforts at forging a robust opposition coalition in response to the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians to reclaim and rebuild their country today got the backing of the coalition of youth representatives,” Abubakar wrote.

“The youth group, a multi-party alliance of young Nigerians, on a courtesy visit led by AbdulAziz Akinsanya, presented a document to me on how the participation of young Nigerians could be maximised in the emerging Coalition.”

Abubakar said he was inspired by the “depth of their proposition and patriotism”.

Opposition leaders, including Abubakar, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 elections; Nasir el-Rufai, former Kaduna governor; and Rotimi Amaechi, ex-Rivers governor, have been meeting to form a coalition aimed at unseating the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.