Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has declared that the proposed opposition coalition cannot adopt the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as its platform because the party suffers from what he described as an "incurable virus."

Lawal made this statement during an appearance on Arise Television's Morning Show on Wednesday, where he discussed ongoing efforts to form a unified opposition coalition ahead of future elections.

"In all the analysis I have seen so far, nobody has said we should adopt the PDP because we have all agreed that the party has an incurable virus, and antibiotics can't cure it – so we can't go into a house that is not remodified and not willing to change," Lawal stated.

The former SGF revealed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has emerged as one of the most committed politicians working towards establishing this opposition coalition. According to Lawal, Atiku has been an active participant in meetings focused on merging opposition parties into a single, stronger political platform.

"Atiku is entitled to his political ambition like every other Nigerian. It's not for me to decide which platform Atiku will contest; it's for him and his inner circle to decide," Lawal explained.

He added: "In most of the political meetings I have attended with regards to merger or the new political platform, I have run into Atiku severally – he has been an active participant on the need for opposition political parties to move into one platform to form one strong opposition party."

Lawal disclosed that a technical committee of experts has been analyzing potential political parties that could be adapted to form the foundation of the new coalition. He emphasized that the coalition is primarily driven by prominent politicians who have agreed to unite their efforts.

During the interview, the elder statesman also addressed allegations of religious bigotry, stating that he considers such labels a compliment rather than criticism.

"I'm a trained pastor and went to the seminary for four years, and I augmented my religious background with a master's in theology. So if you call me a Christian religious bigot, I'm very happy because it's a compliment. It means that my lifestyle conveys that I'm a Christian," he said.

This development comes amid increasing discussions about opposition realignment in Nigeria's political landscape as parties begin positioning themselves for future electoral contests.