Presidential candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar; Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi; and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), alongside Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, were absent yesterday as opposition parties began moves to forge a united front to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 […]
Presidential candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar; Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi; and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), alongside Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, were absent yesterday as opposition parties began moves to forge a united front to unseat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections.
The first opposition political parties summit, convened by the political pressure group G-100, was held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, with representatives of six parties agreeing to begin negotiations towards a possible common presidential candidate.
Those in attendance included the presidential candidates of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Donald Duke, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewale Adebayo; former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu; and APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, among others.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the summit and signed by representatives of ADC, APM, NDC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), PRP and SDP, the parties agreed to establish five working groups to produce key documents within four weeks.
The documents include the National Covenant for Democratic Renewal, Single-Term Transition Charter, National Reform Programme, Framework for Opposition Unity and Roadmap to a Common Presidential Candidate.
The documents are to be submitted to the Central Leadership Committee for consideration ahead of a second summit, where they will be presented for possible adoption.
The parties also agreed to establish three standing coalition organs: the Central Leadership Committee, which will provide political direction and coordinate the process; the Publicity and Communication Committee, responsible for joint messaging and media engagement; and the Legal Committee, which will advise on legal and constitutional issues and vet agreements arising from the negotiations.
The communiqué said the parties had agreed “to commit to a structured process of negotiation on the framework for opposition cooperation ahead of the 2027 general election”.
It added that insecurity, the rising cost of living, unemployment and lack of opportunities required “a level of political cooperation that transcends the narrow interests of any single party”.
The coalition also called on the United States government to ensure the lawful disclosure of non-exempt official records concerning President Tinubu that are subject to ongoing proceedings before the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.
The parties, however, acknowledged that the demand did not presume the contents of any undisclosed records or constitute a finding of wrongdoing.
‘We Divided 13m Votes In 2023’
In his welcome address, G-100 convener and former APC National Vice Chairman (North West), Salihu Lukman, urged opposition parties to set aside personal ambitions and first agree on a framework for cooperation.
He stressed that the summit was not asking any party to dissolve or any candidate to withdraw from the 2027 race.
“What we are asking is narrower, and in some ways harder. We are asking you to agree that the table should be built before the seats around it are negotiated. We are asking you to authorise the machinery that will build it,” Lukman said.
He recalled that opposition parties contested the presidency separately in 2003, 2007 and 2011 but only defeated the ruling PDP in 2015 after agreeing on rules of engagement and presenting a common candidate.
According to him, the failure to maintain such unity in 2023 cost the opposition victory.
“The winner took just under nine million votes. One opposition candidate took close to seven million. Another took just over six million. Thirteen million votes on one side of the argument, under nine million on the other,” he said.
“Nobody stole thirteen million votes. We divided them ourselves, in public, and we did it knowing exactly what the consequence would be.”
Agbedi: Repeat 2015 Victory
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Fred Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), urged opposition leaders to work together to replicate the 2015 election, when the then opposition APC defeated the ruling PDP.
Agbedi said the Minority Caucus had resolved to partner with G-100 to help opposition parties streamline their ambitions and pursue a collective victory.
“In the spirit of creating a viable opposition and ensuring that we collectively win the 2027 election, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives decided that we partner with the G100 to see how opposition parties can come together, streamline our ambitions, and ensure that we take this government out,” he said.
He warned that another fragmented opposition could again squander millions of votes.
Duke Ready To Step Aside
Former Cross River State governor and PRP presidential candidate, Donald Duke, has expressed readiness to withdraw his presidential ambition in favour of a candidate jointly agreed upon by the participating parties.
Duke said the ego of political leaders had often stood in the way of opposition unity.
“If we think we can go it all alone, then we will fail,” he said.
ADC National Chairman, Senator David Mark, who was represented by the party’s National Vice Chairman, South South, Usani Uguru Usani, expressed confidence in the coalition process.
Mark warned opposition parties against attacking one another instead of focusing on the ruling party.
“There is something that is happening among the opposition people or party. We seem to be attacking ourselves much more than we attack a common enemy, which is not correct,” he said.
NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, also pledged his party’s support for the initiative, describing it as necessary to rescue the country from what he termed a “comatose” condition.
‘Our Backs Are Against The Wall’
On his part, the PRP National Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, urged the presidential and vice-presidential candidates at the summit to recognise the expectations of Nigerians.
He said the parties faced what he described as an “existential threat” through litigation but vowed that the opposition would continue with the coalition process.
“Our back is against the wall, but we’ll fight back. In 2027, we will together remove this government and put the Nigerian nation in a different trajectory,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also questioned the absence of President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima from the country, asking who was in charge of the government in their absence.
He further alleged that Tinubu’s overseas trip was connected to possible release of documents concerning him by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Parties Pledge Commitment
For the APM national chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, the summit is a historic one even as he urged the parties to place national interest above individual ambitions.
SDP national chairman, Prof. Sadiq Gombe, said Nigerian voters had demonstrated a willingness to support good governance, citing the combined performance of opposition presidential candidates in 2023.
He pledged the SDP’s commitment to the coalition process and urged participating parties to remain faithful to previous unity agreements.
Representing the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP, its Board of Trustees Secretary and former Niger State governor, Dr Babangida Aliyu, said the initiative was long overdue.
Aliyu attributed many of Nigeria’s governance problems to the personal ambitions and pecuniary interests of political actors.
“We are not here to pick or to nominate or to tell other parties to not run. Now we are going to lay the foundation that when the time comes, we should be able to say this is the way to go,” he said.
The opposition parties are expected to reconvene at a second summit after the five working groups complete their assignments, with the question of a common presidential candidate expected to feature prominently in subsequent negotiations.
