Opposition political parties and key political actors will converge on Abuja on Monday for a summit aimed at forging a common political front and developing strategies to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.
The summit, organised by the political pressure group, G-100, comes amid growing calls for opposition unity, as political parties continue to disagree over possible alliance arrangements and the emergence of a consensus presidential candidate.
The Social Democratic Party and the Peoples Redemption Party have confirmed their participation in the meeting, while the Peoples Democratic Party has distanced itself from the gathering.
The summit is expected to bring together opposition parties and political actors to explore areas of cooperation and coordination ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The G-100, led by former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, has maintained that a fragmented opposition would find it difficult to dislodge an incumbent party with significant organisational and financial advantages.
In a statement issued on Sunday, a day before the summit, the group urged opposition parties to set aside their differences and approach the meeting with an open mind and willingness to cooperate.
The statement, signed by Lukman, said the summit was taking place at a critical moment for Nigeria’s democracy, noting that millions of Nigerians were looking to the opposition to provide a credible alternative to the ruling party.
“Across the country, millions of Nigerians are looking to the opposition not merely to criticise the government of the day, but to demonstrate the maturity, discipline and sense of national purpose required to offer a credible alternative,” the statement read.
The G-100 acknowledged that the participating parties had different histories, structures, interests and presidential ambitions but argued that such differences should not prevent them from cooperating on issues of common interest.
It said cooperation would not require any political party to surrender its identity or ambitions, stressing that there were moments when shared interests must take precedence over differences.
The group also warned that previous elections had shown the dangers of a divided opposition, arguing that multiple opposition candidates could fragment votes and inadvertently strengthen an incumbent.
“The experience of elections in Nigeria and elsewhere has repeatedly demonstrated that a divided opposition often strengthens the incumbent.
“When parties competing for the same broad constituency fragment their energies, resources and votes, they risk turning their differences into an unintended advantage for those they seek to replace,” the group said.
It added, “Division is a choice. Cooperation must now become a strategy.”
SDP Confirms Participation
Confirming the participation of the SDP, its National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party remained committed to working with Nigerians and political groups seeking a different direction for the country.
Aiyenigba described the SDP as a frontline participant in the G-100 initiative and said the party would continue to work with what he described as “true democrats and patriots” committed to Nigeria’s development.
He confirmed that the party’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and its national leadership would attend the summit.
He said the meeting, scheduled to hold at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, would provide an opportunity for opposition parties to explore practical areas of cooperation and coordination ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Peoples Redemption Party also confirmed its participation in the summit, although it did not provide further details.
PDP Rejects Summit
The PDP, however, said it was neither involved in nor aware of the planned summit and ruled out participating in opposition alliance discussions outside its own structures.
The position was conveyed by the spokesman of the party’s National Caretaker Committee, Jungudo Mohammed, in a WhatsApp message to The PUNCH.
“The PDP is not aware of any gathering in the name of opposition summit,” Mohammed said.
He added, “We are also not in any planned arrangement with any political party for any possible alliance. Any opposition discussion where the PDP is not party to is dead on arrival.”
Despite the PDP’s position, the G-100 maintained that the summit was not designed to compel participating parties to abandon their identities, structures or presidential ambitions.
The group said its immediate objective was to establish practical mechanisms for dialogue, coordination and cooperation while allowing parties to retain their individual identities.
It urged participants to approach the discussions in good faith and with the broader interests of Nigeria in mind.
The G-100 acknowledged that disagreements and competing ambitions were inevitable in politics but argued that such differences should not prevent opposition parties from working together to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative.
The group also cautioned against turning the summit into another contest for influence among opposition politicians.
“Tomorrow (Monday) is not about declaring winners or losers within the opposition. It is about beginning the work of ensuring that Nigerian democracy wins,” it said.
“Alone, each opposition party can make its case. Together, the opposition can change the course of the country.”
The push for greater opposition cooperation comes as political parties and prominent politicians intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with President Tinubu seeking a second term.
Although the possibility of a single opposition candidate has generated considerable debate, differences over presidential ambitions, party structures and the terms of any possible alliance remain significant obstacles.
The PUNCH reported last week that some presidential candidates within the emerging opposition coalition were likely to resist pressure to withdraw from the race in favour of a consensus candidate.
The G-100’s latest initiative is therefore aimed at moving the opposition unity debate beyond rhetoric and towards establishing a practical framework for cooperation.
The group said the opposition had a historic opportunity to respond to Nigerians seeking an alternative to the ruling party and urged political leaders not to squander it.
“History has presented the opposition with an opportunity. We must be wise enough not to waste it,” the group counselled.
Efforts to obtain the positions of the African Democratic Congress and the Nigeria Democratic Congress were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
