Ajibola Basiru, national secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has dismissed the outcome of the opposition summit held in Ibadan. He said the plan to present a single presidential candidate in 2027 reflects weakness.
Speaking in an interview with The Nation, Basiru described the gathering as illegitimate. He insisted 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 further argued that any legitimate meeting of political parties must receive proper authorisation.
“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.
Moreover, Basiru said the decision 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.”
Meanwhile, his comments follow the Opposition Political Parties National Summit held in Ibadan, Oyo state, on Saturday.
At the summit, leaders of several opposition parties met to discuss strategies ahead of the 2027 general election.
After deliberations, the parties issued a communiqué. They resolved to work towards fielding a single presidential candidate to challenge the APC.
According to them, the move will strengthen opposition unity. They also said it will prevent attempts by the ruling party to dominate the political space.
In addition, the parties called for reforms in the electoral system. They demanded a review of the Electoral Act and an extension of the timeline for party primaries.
Furthermore, they accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of bias. They urged measures to guarantee free, fair and credible elections.
The summit was hosted by Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo state. It attracted key opposition figures from across the country.
