Opposition political parties in Nigeria have intensified consultations aimed at producing a single presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.
The latest development followed a closed-door meeting between former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and leaders of several opposition parties in Abuja on Tuesday night.
The meeting, confirmed by participants and party officials, is part of a broader effort to strengthen cooperation among opposition groups and explore the possibility of presenting a common presidential candidate in 2027.
According to the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), the delegation included its National Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, as well as other opposition figures.
The PRP National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Ishaq, said the meeting was designed to broaden and strengthen the opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said further consultations with other opposition leaders and presidential candidates were expected.
Opposition Leaders Discuss Single Candidate
The latest meeting is coming amid months of discussions over whether Nigeria’s opposition parties can overcome their individual interests and agree on one presidential candidate.
Participants have reportedly discussed the structure that could be used to produce and sustain a single presidential candidacy, although no final agreement on a consensus candidate has been announced.
The parties involved are expected to continue consultations with other presidential aspirants before any decision is reached.
Among the political groups represented in the latest discussions are the PRP, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The development adds to an opposition-unity process that has been unfolding since August.
G-100 and the Push for Opposition Unity
One of the major initiatives behind the current negotiations is the G-100, a group of politicians and public figures led by former Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman.
The group has been advocating greater cooperation among opposition parties and has proposed the emergence of a common presidential candidate ahead of 2027.
In August and September, representatives of several opposition parties met in Abuja under the initiative to discuss mechanisms for cooperation and the possibility of a single presidential candidate.
The parties involved in the broader discussions have included the ADC, APM, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), PDP, PRP and SDP.
At a summit held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on August 31, representatives discussed a framework for opposition cooperation and the possibility of a common presidential candidate.
The proposal also included discussions around a four-year transition programme and a broader national reform agenda.
Atiku and Obi Positions Remain Important
The question of who could emerge as a consensus candidate remains one of the biggest issues confronting the initiative.
Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are among the most prominent opposition figures associated with the 2027 presidential contest.
However, their camps previously expressed reservations about the idea that opposition parties must necessarily surrender their individual presidential ambitions in favour of one candidate.
In August, reports indicated that both the Atiku and Obi camps supported broader opposition cooperation but were not prepared to automatically withdraw their respective presidential ambitions for a consensus arrangement.
This creates one of the central challenges facing the coalition discussions.
It is easier for opposition parties to agree that they should cooperate than it is for their presidential candidates to agree on who should withdraw from the race.
Turaki-Led PDP Faction Supports Single Candidate
A faction of the PDP led by former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has publicly supported the proposal for a single opposition presidential candidate.
The faction said it endorsed the proposal as part of efforts to provide a unified opposition platform for the 2027 election.
The faction was also represented in the broader opposition discussions in Abuja.
However, the PDP remains politically divided, and the status of different factions and their respective relationships with the proposed coalition remains part of the wider negotiations.
Previous Summit Laid the Groundwork
The latest meeting follows an earlier opposition summit in Abuja where parties began discussing how a common platform could be established.
At that meeting, representatives of several opposition parties agreed to establish working groups and committees to develop proposals on opposition unity, national reforms and a possible process for selecting a common presidential candidate.
The initiative has therefore moved beyond general calls for opposition unity to discussions about the practical arrangements required to make such cooperation possible.
However, no single candidate has been formally adopted by all participating parties.
The Challenge of Personal Political Ambitions
One of the major obstacles remains the willingness of presidential candidates to step aside.
Reports in September indicated that Atiku, Obi and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, who is associated with the APM’s presidential bid, continued to maintain their political ambitions despite the push for a consensus arrangement.
Other opposition parties have also expressed reservations about surrendering their presidential tickets.
This means the negotiations involve more than choosing a popular candidate.
The parties would have to agree on issues including the method of selecting the candidate, the political platform, the distribution of positions, the structure of the coalition and what happens to the parties after the election.
Peter Obi’s Position
Peter Obi has also commented on the question of a single opposition candidate.
His position, as previously reported, is that the political parties should determine how the issue is handled.
The NDC has also indicated that while it supports cooperation among opposition forces, it does not necessarily accept the argument that all opposition parties must merge behind one presidential candidate.
The disagreement illustrates the wider debate within the opposition camp over whether unity must mean one candidate or whether parties can cooperate while maintaining separate presidential tickets.
Political Expression and the Borno Arrests
The opposition coalition’s latest activities have also coincided with controversy over the reported arrest and arraignment of five youths in Borno State over T-shirts bearing the inscription “Tinubu Must Go.”
The youths were reportedly arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Maiduguri on allegations including criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery. They pleaded not guilty.
The PRP condemned the arrests and said the coalition would take up the matter.
The party argued that citizens should be allowed to express political opinions peacefully. The reported arrests have also attracted criticism from Amnesty International.
The development has added a civil-liberties dimension to the opposition’s broader campaign for political cooperation ahead of 2027.
The Road Ahead
The latest meeting with Atiku does not mean that the opposition has already agreed on a single presidential candidate.
Rather, it represents another stage in a continuing consultation process.
The immediate challenge for the opposition parties is to transform broad agreement on cooperation into an arrangement acceptable to their respective candidates, party structures and supporters.
They must also determine how a consensus candidate would be selected and what guarantees would be offered to candidates who agree to step aside.
For the G-100 and other advocates of opposition unity, the objective is to prevent fragmentation and create a coordinated political alternative.
For the individual parties and presidential aspirants, however, the decision involves balancing coalition interests against their own political ambitions and organisational structures.
With the 2027 election approaching, the negotiations are therefore likely to remain a major feature of Nigeria’s political landscape.
For now, the opposition’s message is increasingly centred on cooperation, but whether that cooperation will ultimately produce one presidential candidate remains unresolved.
