Opposition political parties and groups will converge in Abuja on Monday to discuss plans for a common political front ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The summit, organised by the G-100 political pressure group, will focus on possible areas of cooperation among opposition parties. The broader objective is to develop a strategy capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress.
However, divisions remain within the opposition over alliance arrangements and the possibility of presenting a consensus presidential candidate.
G-100 seeks opposition unity
The G-100, led by former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, has called on opposition parties to put aside their differences.
According to the group, a divided opposition could struggle to defeat an incumbent party with strong structures and financial resources.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Lukman said the summit should provide an opportunity for opposition leaders to discuss practical ways of working together.
“Tomorrow’s summit comes at an important moment for Nigeria’s democracy.
“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 said.
The group acknowledged that opposition parties have different histories, structures and political ambitions. Nevertheless, it said those differences should not prevent them from cooperating on issues of common interest.
Opposition parties divided over alliance
The summit comes amid growing debate over whether opposition parties should form a single political platform before the 2027 election.
The G-100 said cooperation would not require participating parties to abandon their identities. It also said political leaders would not necessarily have to give up their individual ambitions.
Instead, the group wants the parties to identify areas where they can coordinate their efforts.
The organisation also pointed to previous elections as evidence of the danger of opposition fragmentation. According to the G-100, parties that divide votes among several candidates could unintentionally strengthen the ruling party.
“Division is a choice. Cooperation must now become a strategy,” the group said.
SDP confirms participation
The Social Democratic Party has confirmed that it will attend the summit.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party remained committed to working with political groups seeking an alternative direction for Nigeria.
He confirmed that the SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and the party’s national leadership would participate in the meeting.
“Our national leadership and presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, will participate in the Summit of Nigerian Opposition Political Parties under the auspices of the G-100,” Aiyenigba said.
The summit is scheduled to hold at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
PRP also joins summit
The Peoples Redemption Party has also confirmed its participation.
Its National Publicity Secretary, Bello Ishaq, simply told The PUNCH, “We are attending.”
The party did not provide further details about its expectations from the meeting.
PDP rejects opposition summit
The Peoples Democratic Party, however, has distanced itself from the gathering.
The party said it was neither aware of the planned opposition summit nor involved in any arrangement to form an alliance with other political parties outside its existing structures.
The position was conveyed by the spokesman of the PDP National Caretaker Committee, Jungudo Mohammed.
“The PDP is not aware of any gathering in the name of opposition summit,” Mohammed said.
“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.”
G-100 pushes for practical cooperation
Despite the differences, the G-100 said the summit would not seek to force parties into a merger.
The group said its immediate aim was to establish practical mechanisms for dialogue and cooperation.
It also urged opposition leaders to approach the meeting with an open mind. According to the group, disagreements are expected in politics, but they should not prevent parties from working towards a common objective.
The G-100 further warned against turning the summit into another contest for influence among opposition politicians.
“Tomorrow is not about declaring winners or losers within the opposition. It is about beginning the work of ensuring that Nigerian democracy wins,” the group said.
Consensus candidate remains a challenge
One of the major issues facing the opposition is the question of a single presidential candidate.
Several opposition figures are already positioning themselves for the 2027 election. As a result, convincing major contenders to withdraw their ambitions in favour of one candidate could prove difficult.
The G-100 nevertheless believes the opposition has an opportunity to build a stronger political alternative if its leaders can put aside personal interests.
The group said the summit should therefore move the opposition debate beyond general calls for unity. It wants participants to develop practical ways to coordinate their structures and protect their interests during the election.
Efforts to obtain the positions of the African Democratic Congress and Nigeria Democratic Congress were unsuccessful as of the time of the report.
The summit comes as political parties intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with President Tinubu seeking another term in office.
