2027: Details Emerge as G-100 Urges Atiku, Obi, Makinde To Step Down for One Anti-Tinubu Ticket
- The G-100 coalition held a summit in Abuja with six opposition parties to push for a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 elections
- Ambassador Umanu Elijah said consultations were ongoing behind the scenes and expressed confidence that a consensus candidate would emerge by September 30
- Multiple opposition parties, including the AAC, DLA, ADP and APM, have openly resisted calls to step down their candidates for a unified ticket
PAY ATTENTION: Mark Legit.ng as a preferred source, and our content will appear higher in your Google feed!
Efforts by the G-100 coalition to unite the Nigerian opposition behind one presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections have run into significant resistance, with the camps of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra Governor Peter Obi, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde all signalling they intend to stay in the race.
The G-100, a coalition of political groups and stakeholders pushing for a broad opposition front, recently brought together representatives of six parties at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja for what was billed as a major opposition summit.
Source: Twitter
The gathering aimed to build a common platform capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Despite the summit, G-100 member Ambassador Umanu Elijah said no single candidate had been adopted yet, describing the process as gradual.
As reported by The Punch, he said that consultations were continuing in the background and that he expected an agreement to be reached before the end of September.
"We had our first summit recently in Abuja with the opposition political parties and their presidential candidates. It is important to note that this is a gradual process. We have not adopted a single candidate yet, but that is the goal," Elijah said.
Opposition camps hold firm
A close ally of Atiku, speaking anonymously, argued that the former Vice-President had already anticipated the need for coalition-building and was the architect of the African Democratic Congress, which he now leads as its presidential candidate. The source said Atiku remained open to dialogue but would contest the election regardless.
The Allied Peoples' Movement's National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, said Makinde was in the race to win outright, not to serve as a placeholder. He added that Makinde could himself emerge as the consensus pick and had not stepped down for anyone.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the party was open to discussions but believed its candidate, Peter Obi, was among the strongest contenders and had a realistic chance of being chosen as the agreed candidate.
Sowore, ADP, DLA reject single-candidate Idea
African Action Congress candidate Omoyele Sowore was the most direct in his rejection, arguing that uniting behind one candidate without a shared ideology would produce nothing more than another elite power arrangement.
"A single candidate without a common ideology, a clear programme and a commitment to fundamentally change Nigeria is merely another elite arrangement designed to change the occupants of power while preserving the system that has failed our people," Sowore said.
He confirmed he would not step down under such conditions.
The Democratic Leadership Alliance's campaign spokesperson, Tosin Odeyemi, was equally blunt:
"No. We don't subscribe to a single presidential candidate and our candidate won't be stepping down."
The Action Democratic Party chairman, Yabbagi Sani, said his party's candidate would not be withdrawing either, though the ADP would welcome any rivals who chose to rally behind its flag bearer instead.
Young Progressives Party candidate Peter Agada offered the only conditional openness, saying he could consider a consensus arrangement if it was built around a clear development framework and a genuine transfer of power to the grassroots.
Source: Twitter
Top stakeholder predicts winner of 2027 election
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Lagos APC chieftain Ibraheem Alao Megida dismissed opposition parties' chances in the 2027 presidential election.
Megida said appeals by opposition politicians to US President Donald Trump would not change APC's political fortunes.
The Mainland Independent Group received branded vehicles and souvenirs from patron Olatunji Bello to boost grassroots campaigns
Source: Legit.ng
