2027: Political bigwigs unite as APC mocks consensus plan

The All Progressives Congress has said it is unfazed by the decision of opposition leaders to field a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections to dislodge the ruling party.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, said opposition parties were free to explore coalition talks.

He, however, said they had yet to resolve fundamental disagreements, including which party would produce the joint candidate.

Leaders of the opposition parties on Saturday converged on Ibadan, Oyo State, for the National Summit of Opposition Political Leaders and agreed to present one presidential candidate for the election.

The agreement was part of nine resolutions contained in a communique read by the opposition leaders at the end of the summit.

In the communiqué, titled the ‘Ibadan Declaration,’ the opposition said the move was necessary to “rescue the nation and suffering masses,” while warning against what it described as attempts by the APC to entrench a one-party state.

The event was attended by key opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi; former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi; and former governor of Kwara State, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Also at the event were the 2023 presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso; former Niger State governor, Babangida Aliyu; former minister Rauf Aregbesola, former governor of Cross River State, Liyel Imoke, and Prof. Pat Utomi.

It also featured former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Babachir Lawal; co-convener of the summit, Professor Jerry Gana; former APC Chairman, Chief John Oyegun; former Sokoto State governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; former minister Bolaji Abdullahi; former Osun State governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, among others.

The opposition leaders, mainly from a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, stressed the need to set aside their differences and build a unified platform to challenge the APC in 2027.

Reading the communique on behalf of the opposition parties, the factional National Chairman of the PDP, Taminu Turaki, reaffirmed their commitment to participate fully in the 2027 elections despite what they termed sustained political pressure and “onslaught” from the ruling party aimed at limiting opposition space.

On electoral matters, the summit expressed a lack of confidence in the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission, calling on the National Assembly to review provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, which they said could undermine the credibility of elections.

They further demanded an extension of the timeline for party primaries, arguing that the current guidelines issued by the electoral body posed challenges for opposition parties.

The communiqué also called for the release of politicians allegedly facing harassment or detention on bailable conditions, insisting that all Nigerians must be allowed to participate freely in the democratic process.

While commending Nigerians for their resilience, the opposition leaders said the Ibadan meeting marked the beginning of sustained engagements and coalition-building efforts leading up to the 2027 elections.

Some of the resolutions read, “That we shall resist all attempts by the APC to foist a one-party state on Nigeria.

“That despite the onslaught and afflictions of the ruling party, the APC, to ensure that President Bola Tinubu emerges as the sole presidential candidate in 2027, we shall field candidates and partake in the 2027 election and other elections.

“That we shall work towards fielding one presidential candidate for the 2027 election, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties to rescue our nation and our suffering masses.

“That INEC chairman, Prof. Josh Amupitan, having shown bias and open partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections, as Nigerians have lost hope and confidence in him and his capacity to deliver a free, fair, transparent and credible election.”

“That the National Assembly should immediately review the Electoral Act 2026 to remove all sections and clauses that threaten the sanctity and integrity of the elections and run counter to constitutional provisions.

“That all living politicians that are being detained or harassed on bailable conditions be released immediately and be allowed to exercise their fundamental right of participation and inclusivity as Nigerians.

“That we consider the recent guidelines released by INEC as obstacles deliberately engineered against the opposition parties. We therefore demand that INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July 2026.”

Earlier in his welcome address, Governor Makinde warned that the growing concentration of political power in one party, coupled with persistent crises within opposition parties, was narrowing the space for real competition.

He noted that without a strong opposition, democracy risks becoming ineffective, urging political actors to rise above internal divisions.

The governor stressed that democracy depended not just on elections, but on the availability of viable alternatives, cautioning that the erosion of opposition capacity could leave citizens without meaningful choices.

“When opposition becomes ineffective, democracy itself begins to lose meaning. We must be clear about what this means. First, democracy is not defined by the success of one party; it is defined by the existence of real alternatives, by the ability of citizens to choose, and by the confidence that those choices matter. Once that disappears, what we have may still be called democracy, but it will no longer function as one.

“Let me sound a note of warning for those that are carrying on as if there will not be tomorrow; they should remember that ‘operation wetie’ started from here. This is the same wild, wild West.

“Democracy without opposition is not democracy; it is a slow drift towards a one-party state, and Nigeria must not make that drift. No matter how strong a party becomes, no matter how popular any government may appear, the presence of credible opposition is not a threat to democracy; it is what sustains democracy.

“If we allow opposition to weaken, whether by design or by neglect, then we all bear the consequences. So, this is not a moment for fragmentation, it is not a moment for silence, and it is certainly not a moment to disengage politically. It is a moment to think clearly, to speak honestly, and to act with a sense of responsibility that goes beyond party lines,” Makinde said.

On his part, Turaki called for a joint opposition framework to “free Nigeria from the claws of the APC.”

Turaki insisted that opposition parties must agree to work together to defeat the APC in 2027.

According to him, such a platform would serve as a rallying point for parties committed to challenging the APC and rebuilding trust among voters.

He urged opposition leaders to engage more directly with citizens, listen to their concerns, and align their strategies with public expectations, stressing that unity must be anchored on fairness, justice, and transparency.

“The solution is the activation of a joint opposition framework. A framework which can be called either the Ibadan Accord or, if you like, the Ibadan Declaration. This accord or declaration will be a joint opposition platform where the defence of democracy will be the paramount interest.

“To succeed, it is inevitable that we must come together, but the coming together must be guided by a sense of equity, fairness, justice, transparency, and fear of God.

“I want us to agree to depart Ibadan with resolve to work together to rescue Nigeria from the claws of this confused and confusing ruling party,” Turaki said.

Also speaking, the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, called for what he termed a “national rescue mission” to restore trust and safeguard democratic structures.

“In the last three years, this country has launched major attacks on the opposition parties, all in a bid to deny the people the right to choose. They want to foist a one-party state on Nigeria.

“Institutions that should safeguard our freedom and protect the will of the people are increasingly under assault. The right of citizens to freely choose their leaders is being undermined; the independence of democratic institutions is being compromised. In fact, it is becoming increasingly difficult to describe what we have today as a fully functioning democracy in both form and substance.

“The task before us is nothing short of a national rescue mission. It is a mission born out of necessity, compelled by the suffering of our people and driven by the urgency of the moment,” Mark said.

He called on opposition leaders to shelve their personal interests and come together as a single force to challenge the ruling party and present a credible alternative to Nigerians.

“What is at stake is greater than every single one of us; it involves sacrifice by every member of the opposition.

“What we are faced with is a regime that has shown, in both words and deeds, a willingness to weaken democratic structures and suppress opposition voices. The move towards a one-party state is real; it has never happened before in this country, and it will not happen in our generation,” Mark added.

He noted that Nigerians no longer trust the Independent National Electoral Commission to deliver credible, free and transparent elections.

“Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral body called INEC. INEC is no longer an impartial umpire, and if nothing changes, Prof Ojo Amupitan is about to preside over the most distrusted election in Nigeria’s history. The consequences are better left to imagination,” Mark said.

The political parties said to have participated in the summit included the PDP, ADC, Labour Party, NNPP, Peoples Redemption Party, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Action Peoples Party, Accord Party, the Allied Peoples Movement, the Action Alliance, the Democratic Leadership Alliance, Youth Party, the Action Democratic Party and the Zenith Labour Party.

But the APC dismissed the opposition’s decision, describing the initiative as unrealistic and politically disjointed.

The party’s National Secretary, Basiru, argued that the opposition’s internal struggles made the idea of a unified presidential ticket impractical, noting that the ambitions of key political figures would ultimately undermine any consensus arrangement.

He said, “We wish them luck if they can have it, but they will still have to fly on the platform of a particular political party, so they should first agree on which particular party they want to fly their so-called candidate.

“I can assure you that they are just engaging in delusion. There are 19 political parties in Nigeria today, and many of them will have presidential candidates. Even within their own group that they are calling a coalition of opposition, they will not agree on who is going to fly the presidential ticket.

“They are just deluding themselves. All of them want to be president: Atiku wants to be president, Obi wants to be president, Kwankwaso wants to be president, Seyi Makinde wants to be Vice President, so who is going to be their president?”

Basiru noted that the ruling party was not distracted by “political theatrics,” adding that the APC remained focused on strengthening its structures and preparing for the next elections through membership expansion and transparent primaries.

He maintained that his party was confident of its position ahead of 2027 and was open to facing any candidate presented by the opposition at the polls.

“As far as we are concerned, we are focused on mobilising the Nigerian people, concentrating on our membership drive and conducting transparent primaries. So, we are not bothered about the circus that they are doing.

“The only thing is that we are happy they have the opportunity of organising what they called the opposition summit, but that also speaks to the false narrative that they are peddling that Nigeria is becoming a one-party state.

“They (opposition) should concentrate on facing their own political issues rather than lying to the Nigerian populace. We are ready to meet any of them at the polls,” he added.

Reacting to Makinde’s warning of ‘Operation wetie, a violent political crisis in Western Nigeria between 1962 and 1965, Basiru described the governor’s statement as “irresponsible”.

“That statement is irresponsible, coming from someone who is supposed to be a governor and who swore to a constitution that the security and welfare of the people is the paramount purpose of governance.

“It also shows in his political frustration. He does not even know history and what happened and what is regarded as ‘wetie’. ‘Wetie’ occurred because of rigging of elections in the First Republic. In the instant case, there is no such thing here.

“You cannot be threatening violence because a political party is waxing stronger. Democracy is about canvassing for your own idea and position, but all in all, it’s a sign of his frustration and also a sense of irresponsibility and all well meaning Nigerians should tell him that he should not create unnecessary crises when there is none,” Basiru said.