2027: Opposition Parties Begin Unity Talks as Atiku, Obi, Makinde Skip Abuja Summit

Nigeria’s opposition parties on Monday opened discussions on the possibility of forming a united front ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the leaders of six major political parties gathered in Abuja to begin laying the foundations for cooperation.

However, some of the country’s most prominent opposition figures were absent from the maiden summit held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre.

African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, ADC, Atiku Abubakar; Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi; and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who is associated with the Allied People’s Movement, APM, were not present at the meeting.

Despite their absence, the summit attracted other prominent political figures, including the Social Democratic Party, SDP, presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo; former Governor of Cross River State and People’s Redemption Party, PRP, presidential candidate, Donald Duke; and APM vice presidential candidate, Lawal Musa Daura.

Members of the National Working Committee and Supervisory Board of participating parties were also present as opposition leaders explored a framework aimed at preventing another split by 2027.

Speaking on behalf of the G100, Mallam Salihu Mohammed Lukman presented what he described as a more structured approach to opposition cooperation, proposing the formation of a Government of National Competence based on a four-year transitional arrangement.

“The framework before you proposes something more demanding than an amalgamation of ambitions: a Government of National Competence, built on competence, integrity, national inclusion and fair representation of every party contributing to this effort,” he said, adding that such a government must be “guaranteed by a political commitment to a four-year term, enshrined in an enforceable Transitional Charter.”

Lukman emphasized that any agreement reached by the opposition must go beyond political promises and be binding on all parties involved.

“We want to underscore the word ‘implementable’. This meeting does not need any more sincerity. Nigerian politics has never lacked sincere promises. What they suffer from are promises that no one can keep when the person who made the resolution changes his mind,” he said, stressing that any resolution “must be in writing, must be witnessed and must have consequences.”

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He recalled the evolution of opposition politics since the return of democracy in 1999, arguing that opposition parties remained unsuccessful in 2003, 2007 and 2011 because they competed separately.

According to him, a breakthrough occurred in 2015 when the opposition forces agreed on a cooperation process before finally naming a candidate.

Lukman said these lessons were abandoned in the 2023 presidential election, when opposition candidates split the vote in a way that could have changed the election results.

“The winner got just under nine million votes. One opposition candidate got almost seven million votes. The other got only six million votes. Thirteen million votes on one hand, under nine million votes on the other. And the party with fewer votes will form the government, legally, constitutionally and completely predictably,” he said.

He argued that the election results could not be blamed on external manipulation.

“Nobody stole thirteen million votes. We handed them out ourselves, publicly, and we did it knowing exactly what the consequences would be,” he added.

Drawing on examples from other democracies, Lukman pointed to Kenya, where a long-serving ruling party was defeated in 2002, and Malaysia, where a decades-old governing coalition lost power in 2018.

“The opposition never wins because they become more virtuous. They win because they become one,” he said, describing the lesson as one that was “arithmetic” and not moral.

To coordinate the proposed alliance, Lukman revealed plans to form three permanent bodies consisting of representatives of participating political parties.

The proposed Central Leadership Committee would consist of the national chairman, national secretary, presidential nominee and vice presidential nominee and would provide overall political direction.

The Publicity and Communications Committee will coordinate messaging, while the Legal Committee will handle legal and coalition-related issues.

The G100, he explained, only acts as a facilitator and observer.

Lukman also announced plans to form five Working Groups, each of which would nominate a representative.

The groups are expected to prepare papers within four weeks on the National Agreement for Democratic Renewal, the One-Term Transition Charter, the National Reform Programme, the Opposition Unity Framework and the Roadmap to a Joint Presidential Candidate.

These documents will then be presented at the second summit.

He was quick to clarify that the meeting in Abuja was not designed to force political parties to merge or force presidential candidates to abandon their ambitions.

“This is not asking for any party to disband. This is not asking for any party to disband into another party. This is not asking for any candidate to step down this morning… That question is not on the agenda of this summit, and any report to the contrary is false,” he said.

According to him, the immediate goal is to create a framework for future negotiations.

The opposition, he said, first sought to build “negotiations” before deciding on “seats” around him.

Also speaking at the summit, House of Representatives Minority Caucus Leader, Hon. Fred Agbedi said opposition lawmakers had decided to work with the G100 in seeking a common political strategy.

He said the aim was to prevent the opposition from repeating the mistakes of previous elections.

“In the spirit of creating a viable opposition and ensuring that we win collectively in the 2027 elections, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives decided that we partner with the G100 to see how the opposition parties can unite, simplify our ambitions, and ensure that we get rid of this government,” he said.

Agbedi urged opposition leaders to subordinate individual political interests to collective goals.

“What good does it do us when we are divided and scattered, and we go to elections, and we come back to collect millions of votes that we have divided among ourselves, but cannot give us victory? That would be like a waste, and we pray that we do not repeat that in 2027,” he said.

For Donald Duke, the PRP’s presidential candidate, personal ambition should not get in the way of broader opposition consensus.

He stated that he was ready to support any candidate chosen collectively by the participating parties.

“If we think we can do everything alone, then we will fail,” he stressed.

Representing the ADC, National Deputy Chairman of the South-South Party, Usani Uguru Usani, expressed optimism that the coalition efforts could be successful but warned opposition leaders not to antagonize each other.

“There is something happening among people or opposition parties. It seems that we are attacking ourselves more often than attacking the common enemy, and that is not true,” he said.

APM National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle, described the meeting as a watershed moment for Nigeria’s opposition and urged political leaders to rise above personal and party interests.

“For us to achieve this it will be remembered for what we did today, that we had a chance, or what we rejected today, that we had a chance,” he said.

Dantalle pledged his party’s commitment to what he described as the “Nigerian project.”

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Tanimu Turaki was represented by the Secretary of the Board of Trustees, Dr Babangida Aliyu.

Aliyu praised the G100 for convening the meeting and blamed personal ambition and excessive financial interests for many political challenges in Nigeria.

He said the immediate task was not selecting candidates, but establishing a process that could ultimately guide the opposition toward a shared decision.

“We are not here to vote or nominate or tell other parties not to nominate. Now we will lay the foundation that when the time comes, we should be able to say this is the way to go,” he said.

Aliyu also called for similar cooperative initiatives to be expanded to state and local government levels.

PRP National Chairman, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, described the summit as historic and said Nigerians were closely watching the outcome of the discussions.

“Look back, see how seriously Nigerians are watching this, because there are two things going on right now,” he said.

He said the parties represented at the meeting faced what he described as “existential threats” arising from litigation and other political challenges.

“We can’t do anything, but we will fight. In 2027, we will together get rid of this government and take the Nigerian nation in a different direction,” he said.

SDP National Chairman, Prof Sadiq Gombe, said Nigerian voters have repeatedly demonstrated their willingness to support candidates and parties they believe can deliver good governance.

He cited voting patterns in the 2023 presidential election and other elections as proof that voters are ready to make political choices independently.

Gombe pledged the SDP’s commitment to coalition-building efforts “no matter what,” while urging other opposition parties to remain loyal to the agreements reached during the process.

On behalf of the NDC and its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the party’s National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas Zuwoghe, also supported efforts to build a stronger opposition platform.

He said cooperation has become increasingly important considering the challenges facing the country.

“It is a good thing when opposition political parties who are not pretending, but are convinced that our country is in a coma… think carefully and build a path to save this nation,” he said.

Monday’s summit marked the start of what opposition leaders hope will be an ongoing dialogue process ahead of general elections in 2027.

While the absence of Atiku, Obi and Makinde was notable, participants repeatedly emphasized that the meeting was not about selecting a presidential candidate or forcing political parties to give up their identities.

Instead, the focus is on creating rules, institutions, and agreements capable of guiding the opposition toward a unified strategy.

Whether the parties can finally overcome the personal ambitions, internal divisions and competing interests that have historically weakened Nigeria’s opposition remains to be seen, but the Abuja summit has opened what could be one of the most important talks ahead of the 2027 elections.