Atiku made the disclosure during an interview on Arise Television on Wednesday, where he reflected on events following the PDP’s defeat in the 2023 presidential election.

According to him, he warned party leaders after the election that the PDP could struggle politically without forming alliances with other opposition forces.

“To be honest, I was one of the major initiators of this coalition. After the PDP lost the last election, I told the party clearly that I did not see a future for the PDP without a coalition,” he said.

Atiku said his advice was rejected at the time, despite his conviction that Nigeria’s political history had shown the importance of alliances.

“They disagreed with me then. I have studied Nigeria’s political transition over the years and saw how previous alliances worked, so it was not difficult for me to foresee this,” he stated.

The former vice president added that his support for coalition politics was also influenced by his desire to encourage the emergence of younger leaders he believes are vital to Nigeria’s future.

“I saw some of these younger politicians as the future leaders of this country, and I felt it was my duty to point that out,” he said.

However, Atiku claimed the resistance he encountered within the party was driven more by personal feelings than by disagreement over the substance of his proposal.

“They disagreed with me simply because they did not want to see my face, not because of what I was suggesting,” he said.

Atiku added that recent political developments have now vindicated his position on the need for a broad opposition alliance ahead of future elections.