Kaduna State chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Edward Marshall, has said that only a broad coalition of opposition parties led by the PDP can defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
Marshall made the statement on Wednesday when he received members of the Gbenga Olawepo Hashim Front (GOH-Front) at the PDP state secretariat in Kaduna. The group had visited to protest the zoning of the party’s presidential ticket to the South.
The PDP chairman insisted that while alliances were useful, no opposition party could rival the PDP’s spread and grassroots network across the country.
Nigerians fed up with APC rule
Marshall accused the APC government of plunging Nigerians into hardship, saying voters would not reward it with another term.
According to him, the high cost of living, rising food prices, and widespread poverty have weakened public trust in the ruling party.
“Sincerely speaking, any reasonable Nigerian knows the people are not happy with this system. We were told to be patient with Buhari for eight years. Now the same people are telling us to be patient again under Tinubu. No Nigerian wants to hear APC’s name anywhere,” he said.
He stressed that many households could barely afford two meals daily, noting that market prices had tripled compared to two years ago.
Convention seen as turning point
Marshall also pointed to the PDP’s national convention set for November 15–16 in Ibadan, Oyo State, as an opportunity to reposition the party ahead of 2027.
He expressed confidence that credible leadership would emerge from the exercise, attracting returnees and even defectors from the APC.
“When credible leaders emerge after the convention, you will see a lot of permutations. Those who left the PDP will return, and even some from the ruling party will come back. Once that happens, no one will be able to stop it,” he said.
Responding to the protest letter from the GOH-Front, Marshall restated that the NEC had zoned the presidential ticket to the South but clarified that zoning did not exclude any aspirant from contesting.
Aliyu Mohammed, the state coordinator of GOH-Front, who led the delegation, said the group wanted the contest thrown open, warning that restrictions could weaken the PDP’s chances against the APC.
