Ajibola Basiru, national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed the outcome of the opposition summit held in Ibadan, saying the move to present a single presidential candidate in 2027 shows weakness.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Basiru described the gathering as illegitimate, insisting it did not represent duly constituted political parties.
“The so-called Ibadan summit is a ruse. It was an assemblage of individuals, not ten political parties,” he said.
He argued that any legitimate meeting of political parties must be authorised by their leadership organs.
“For parties to meet, there must be prior authorisation from their NWC or NEC. Without that, it is simply a gathering of individuals,” he added.
Basiru said the decision by opposition actors to unite behind one candidate contradicts claims that Nigeria’s political space is dominated by a single party.
“If they now claim that ten political parties met to gang up against one party, it contradicts their earlier narrative,” he said.
“It shows that the political space remains open, but they lack the strength to compete individually.”
BACKGROUND
His comments follow the Opposition Political Parties National Summit held in Ibadan, Oyo state, on Saturday, where leaders of several opposition parties met to discuss strategies ahead of the 2027 general election.
In a communiqué issued after the summit, the parties resolved to work towards fielding a single presidential candidate to challenge the APC.
They said the decision was necessary to strengthen opposition unity and prevent what they described as attempts by the ruling party to dominate the political space.
The parties also called for reforms in the electoral system, including a review of the Electoral Act and an extension of the timeline for party primaries.
They further accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of bias and demanded measures to ensure free, fair and credible elections.
The summit was hosted by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state, and attracted key opposition figures from across the country.
