2027: Opposition Parties Regroup Over Single Candidate to Defeat Tinubu

Opposition leaders have stepped up consultations on the possibility of presenting a single presidential candidate against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 election.

ADVERTISE HERE:
[email protected]

The latest move followed a meeting between representatives of several opposition parties and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in Abuja, where the possibility of a joint presidential bid was discussed.

The meeting brought together representatives of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The discussions focused on how the opposition could reach an agreement on one candidate and sustain the proposed alliance through the 2027 election.

Sources familiar with the talks said the consultations had not reached a final decision, adding that the leaders were expected to engage other presidential candidates before settling on any arrangement.

The PRP confirmed the meeting in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Muhammed Ishaq.

According to the party, Atiku received the delegation and urged opposition leaders to maintain their consultations as they seek greater cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The PRP said Atiku's response encouraged the delegation to continue working towards a broader political alliance.

It described the engagement as a significant boost to the coalition-building process, while revealing that more meetings with opposition leaders and presidential candidates were being planned.

The renewed push comes amid growing discussions among opposition parties over how to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), had earlier said political parties involved in the opposition movement would ultimately determine how the issue of a single candidate would be resolved.

Meanwhile, Atiku has also backed the “Tinubu Must Go” campaign after meeting its convener, Abba Hikima, on Monday.

Atiku said the movement represented what he described as a growing demand for political change and called on Nigerians who identified with its objectives to support it.

PRP reacts to arrests in Borno

The political discussions have also been accompanied by renewed concerns over the treatment of opposition supporters.

The PRP condemned the reported arrest and arraignment of five youths in Borno State over their alleged involvement in wearing T-shirts carrying the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go.”

The men were arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court in Maiduguri on charges including criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and thuggery.

They pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The PRP said the opposition coalition would intervene in the matter, arguing that political expression should not be criminalised.

Amnesty International has also criticised the arrests and called for the release of the five men, stressing the importance of protecting peaceful political expression.

Group pushes opposition consensus

The latest consultations are linked to efforts by the G-100, a group of politicians working to unite opposition parties ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The group is seeking cooperation among the ADC, PDP, NDC, PRP, SDP and APM, with the proposed arrangement expected to involve presidential candidates, running mates and party leaders.

Candidates whose names have featured in the discussions include Atiku Abubakar of the ADC, Peter Obi of the NDC, Seyi Makinde of the APM, Donald Duke of the PRP, Adebayo Adewole Ebenezer of the SDP and Senator Sandy Onor of the PDP.

The initiative is led by Salihu Lukman, a former Director-General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum.

Lukman has argued that opposition parties must overcome their differences if they want to present Nigerians with a credible political alternative in 2027.

The current effort also revives an earlier attempt to establish a common opposition platform at a political summit held in Ibadan last November.

That initiative failed to produce a lasting alliance, leaving unresolved the question of whether competing presidential candidates and their supporters would eventually accept a consensus arrangement.

Speaking on Trust TV, Lukman said the opposition would struggle to convince Nigerians that it offered an alternative unless its leaders were prepared to work together.

The consultations are therefore expected to continue as the parties weigh their individual ambitions against the possibility of a common presidential ticket in the 2027 election.