LEADERS of major opposition political parties in Nigeria have resolved to work towards presenting a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general election as part of efforts to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The resolution was announced on Saturday, April 25, at the end of the National Summit of Opposition Political Party Leaders held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where key opposition figures gathered to discuss coalition-building and preparations ahead of the next presidential election.
Among those present were former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra, Rivers, Kano and Osun state governors, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and Rauf Aregbesola, respectively.
Former Senate President David Mark, former Minister of Information, Jerry Gana, former presidential candidate Pat Utomi, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde were also among prominent Nigerians at the summit.
Speaking at the summit, factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Saminu Turaki, said the opposition had agreed to rally behind one presidential candidate in order to “rescue the nation.”
“We will work towards fielding only one presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, that will be agreed upon by all opposition parties, in order to rescue our nation and the suffering masses,” Taraki said.
The decision was later formalised in the “Ibadan Declaration,” a communiqué signed by chairmen of participating opposition parties and released by the Turaki’s PDP official handle.
In the communiqué, the coalition accused the APC of pursuing anti-democratic policies and attempting to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate in 2027.
“That we shall resist all machinations by the APC to foist a one-party state on Nigeria and fight for the survival of multi-party democracy in our country,” part of the communique read.
The opposition leaders vowed that despite the ruling party’s ‘manoeuvrings’, they would contest the 2027 presidential and other elections.
“That despite the onslaughts and manoeuvrings of the ruling party, the APC to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate in 2027; we shall field candidates and contest the 2027 presidential and other elections,” the communiqué stated.
Opposition leaders demand INEC’s chairman resignation
Similarly, the summit called for the removal of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, accusing him of bias and partisanship in favour of the APC.
According to the opposition leaders, Nigerians had lost confidence in the INEC chairman’s neutrality and his continued stay in office could trigger widespread political crisis.
“That the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible elections. His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering wide spread crisis in our nation,” they stated.
They further asked the National Assembly to immediately review the Electoral Act 2026 and remove provisions they claimed threatened the credibility and integrity of elections and contradicted constitutional provisions.
The coalition criticised recently released INEC 2027 polls guidelines, describing them as deliberate obstacles designed to frustrate opposition parties, and demanded an extension of the deadline for party primaries until the end of July 2026.
The group also called for the release of politicians detained or harassed over bailable offences, insisting that such actions undermined democratic participation and inclusivity.
Makinde warns against one-party system
Earlier at the summit, the Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde warned against one-party domination, invoking the memory of the violent political crisis known as “Operation Wetie,” which rocked the old Western Region in the 1960s.
“Operation Wetie started from here. This is the same Wild Wild West,” Makinde said.
“Back in 1950, this city hosted a conversation that helped shape Nigeria’s constitutional future. Those discussions were not perfect but necessary. They were driven by a recognition that the structure of the nation was a deliberately built, protected and well necessary debated. In many ways, this gathering carries the same responsibility.
“There are open efforts to consolidate legislative control under one party. At the same time, opposition parties are increasingly entangled in internal crises and legal battles that raise serious questions about their ability to function effectively,” he added.
He said democracy would lose its essence when opposition parties become ineffective and warned against allowing the country’s democratic space to shrink.
“This meeting is not a gang up against one man. And it’s not about individual ambition to be president; it is about the collective ambition of the Nigerian people to have a democracy that is properly defined,” he said.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M