Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has described the visit of the Taminu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party to the leadership of the African Democratic Congress as a solidarity visit, saying the meeting was informed by recent developments across the country's political and judicial space.
Makinde, who spoke to journalists after the closed-door gathering which extended late into the night, said the opposition forces had converged to reaffirm their commitment to a cleaner democratic process in Nigeria. He said the meeting brought together leaders from both parties in response to recent court actions and the protest that the ADC had staged at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja earlier in the day.
"We came here to visit the leadership of ADC, we are on a solidarity visit and we have seen what has been happening within the political space, the court and protest, so we came to show solidarity and to commit to a clean democratic space in our country," Makinde told journalists.
The high-level gathering took place at the Apo, Abuja residence of former Senate President David Mark, whose faction of the ADC played host to the Turaki-led PDP delegation. The meeting drew a formidable assembly of political heavyweights from across the opposition spectrum, signalling a growing convergence of forces outside the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Among the prominent figures who attended the strategic gathering were former Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Anambra State Governor and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu. Former Information Minister Jerry Gana and PDP National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja were also in attendance.
The meeting came on the heels of the ADC's Occupy INEC protest in Abuja, a demonstration that underscored the mounting tensions within the opposition and their collective discontent with the current state of Nigeria's electoral and democratic institutions. Political observers say the late-night gathering points to a deepening coordination among opposition forces ahead of future political contests.
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