2027: Opposition Parties Meet in Abuja to Forge United Front Against Tinubu

Opposition political leaders and parties are expected to gather in Abuja today, Monday, for a crucial summit aimed at building a united political front capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.

The meeting, convened by the political pressure group, G-100, comes amid disagreements among opposition figures over possible alliance structures, the selection of a consensus presidential candidate and the broader strategy for confronting the APC at the polls.

While the Social Democratic Party and the Peoples Redemption Party have confirmed their participation, the Peoples Democratic Party has opted out of the gathering.

The summit is expected to bring together opposition political parties and other key political actors to examine opportunities for collaboration and develop a framework for greater cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Leading the G-100 initiative is Salihu Lukman, a former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, who has consistently argued that the opposition must overcome internal divisions if it hopes to mount a serious challenge against an incumbent government with the political, financial and organisational advantages of the ruling party.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Lukman urged opposition leaders to approach the Abuja meeting with a commitment to national interest and a readiness to find common ground.

“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 signed by Lukman read.

According to the G-100, the differences among political parties should not become an obstacle to cooperation, even as it acknowledged that the participating groups have separate political identities, ambitions and interests.

“The G-100 recognises that every political party has its own history, identity, ambitions and legitimate interests. Cooperation does not require any party to surrender these. Nor does it require political leaders to abandon their aspirations.

“It simply requires the wisdom to recognise that there are moments when what unites us must become more important than what separates us,” it argued.

The group warned that Nigeria’s electoral history had repeatedly shown how divisions within opposition ranks could work to the advantage of an incumbent government.

It maintained that splitting votes, resources and political energies among several candidates could undermine efforts to achieve political change, even in situations where public dissatisfaction with the government was widespread.

“The experience of elections in Nigeria and elsewhere has repeatedly demonstrated that a divided opposition often strengthens the incumbent.

“When parties competing for the same broad constituency fragment their energies, resources and votes, they risk turning their differences into an unintended advantage for those they seek to replace.

“Division is a choice. Cooperation must now become a strategy,” the G-100 said.

The Social Democratic Party has confirmed that it will play an active role in the summit.

Its National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party remained committed to working with political leaders and groups seeking what he described as a new direction for Nigeria.

“The SDP is very much part of the G-100 initiative and is occupying a frontline position in the scheme of things of the national rescue movement.

“The party is very much committed to and will continue to work with true democrats and patriots who truly mean well for Nigeria,” he said.

Aiyenigba also confirmed that the SDP’s presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, alongside members of the party’s national leadership, would attend 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, scheduled to hold in Abuja at the Yar’Adua Centre, on Monday, August 31, 2026,” he said.

According to the SDP spokesman, the summit could provide opposition parties with an opportunity to identify practical areas where they can work together and coordinate their activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

The Peoples Redemption Party has also confirmed its readiness to participate in the gathering.

“We are attending,” its National Publicity Secretary, Bello Ishaq, told The PUNCH in a brief telephone conversation on Sunday.

However, Ishaq did not provide further details about the party’s expectations from the meeting.

With the PDP staying away and disagreements still persisting over the shape of a possible alliance, the Abuja summit is expected to test the willingness of Nigeria’s opposition parties to move beyond political differences and personal ambitions in their search for a common strategy against the APC in 2027.