•Sheds light on G100 mission •Says every election was won by coalition in Nigerian history •Summit holds today in Abuja A leading light in the coalition called G100, Professor Anthony Kila, has shed light on the mission of the movement, saying it is designed to strengthen democratic institutions, as well as guarantee good governance and […] The post 2027: Why ADC, NDC, others must unite —Professor Kila appeared first on Tribune Online .
•Sheds light on G100 mission •Says every election was won by coalition in Nigerian history •Summit holds today in Abuja
A leading light in the coalition called G100, Professor Anthony Kila, has shed light on the mission of the movement, saying it is designed to strengthen democratic institutions, as well as guarantee good governance and accountability.
He said every election won in the country has always been through coalition by political forces and cautioned that it is delusional for the present opposition leaders to believe that they could individually go into the coming general election and triumph.
Kila, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune as G100 leaders prepared, at the weekend, to converge, on Abuja, today, for a crucial meeting, strongly challenged the opposition parties posturing to go solo, to quickly have a rethink in the interest of institutional building and holding government accountable post-election.
Recall that in 2013, three major political parties and a faction of another party formed the All Progressives Congress (APC) that defeated the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2015 general election.
To further buttress his assertion, Kila also cited the collaboration among PDP and other parties that defeated the APC in the governorship election in 2019 in Oyo State.
However, stalwarts of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) have consistently declared that they do not need a coalition to contest the forthcoming elections.
“It’s delusional for the opposition to think it can go all alone in the coming elections. Nobody has ever won in Nigeria without a coalition, even within states,” Kila told the Nigerian Tribune.
“The Nigerian story is that no party gets to power without a coalition, because the votes are the same; just collate them at the end of polling. Nobody wins 50 percent; the reason is that everybody wins with less than 40 percent of the votes in Nigeria,” he emphasised.
Kila, Director, the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced and Professional Studies (CIAPS), explained that the ongoing efforts aimed at achieving a compromise among the opposition parties as the countdown to the election and cautioned against inordinate ambitions encumbering the building of consensus and institutions.
His words: “It is a test for the opposition leaders themselves. It is the exam question for the opposition: Can you see the big picture? Can you sacrifice your own ambition for the greater good? Are you mature enough to create what I call constructive compromise?”
The political economist stated that he and other compatriots are already looking beyond the 2027 general election because strong institutions form the pillars of democracy, enthronement and sustenance of good governance and accountability.
“My view is that it is important to have not only a viable government, but also a viable opposition. My argument is that fragmented opposition is not good for the system and is not good for the government.
“A government that is not challenged is prone to errors because it becomes hubristic and too complacent. When a government is challenged with responsibility and accountability, it will always be on its toes.
“The whole role of government is always to be on its toes, otherwise, it may lose focus. I truly believe and will continue to remind other people that if you are still going to vote for the APC, if you love institutions, you should make sure that they have opposition because if you do it today, tomorrow, they might be somebody else there (in power).
“And I keep telling people, especially my own Oduduwa people, that what we do today might haunt us tomorrow. Some of us are thinking beyond 2031 already because whatever happens, at best scenario for President Bola Tinubu and the worse scenario for his perceived adversaries, he will be there till 2031, so, what happens tomorrow?
“We are thinking beyond 2027. When you think that way, what you are doing is to strengthen institutions. What we are trying to do is to get the opposition to work together, but there seems to be what I will call a syndrome of red herring among some opposition leaders.”
Abuja summit, a defining moment —G100
Meanwhile, the G100 has called on opposition parties, their leaders, candidates and members to approach today’s gathering with one fundamental understanding: “we are stronger together than we are apart.”
In a statement, on Sunday, by its convener, Salihu Lukman, the G100 said the First Summit of Nigeria’s opposition political parties scheduled for the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, came at a defining moment for Nigeria’s democracy.
Across the country, millions of Nigerians are looking to the opposition not merely to criticise the government of the day, but to demonstrate the maturity, discipline and sense of national purpose required to offer a credible alternative,” the statement said.
The group noted that cooperation does not require parties to surrender their identities or ambitions, but to recognise national interest above partisan differences.
Advocates good faith, practical mechanisms
The group said the summit provides an opportunity to build practical mechanisms for dialogue and coordination, while respecting the structures of participating parties.
“This summit provides an opportunity to begin building practical mechanisms for dialogue, coordination and cooperation, while respecting the identities and structures of participating parties,” it stated.
“The G100, therefore, appeals to every participating party and leader to come to the table in good faith, with an open mind and with the larger interests of Nigeria at heart.”
Acknowledging that disagreements are inevitable, Lukman urged leaders not to allow differences to deny Nigerians a credible alternative.
