Opposition political parties in Nigeria have resolved to work towards presenting a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections, as part of efforts to strengthen collaboration and challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The resolution is contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a national summit held on Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo State, and later shared on the X page of the Kabir Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
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In what they termed the “Ibadan Declaration,” the parties accused the APC of actions capable of undermining multi-party democracy, vowing to resist any attempt to impose a one-party state.
The opposition groups also dismissed suggestions that President Bola Tinubu could emerge as a consensus candidate and win the 2027 without any contest, insisting they would field candidates across all levels of the elections.
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However, they said discussions were ongoing to agree on a single presidential flagbearer to be backed by all participating opposition parties.
“That despite the onslaughts and manoeuvrings of the ruling party, the APC to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole Presidential candidate in 2027; we shall field candidates and contest the 2027 Presidential and other elections.
“That we shall work towards fielding one Presidential Candidate for the 2027 elections, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties to rescue our nation and her long suffering masses,” the statement read.
Removal of INEC chairman
The communiqué further raised concerns about the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), calling for the removal of its chairman, Joash Amupitan, over alleged bias.
The parties said his continued stay in office could undermine confidence in the electoral process, although INEC has not responded to the allegation.
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“That the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible elections. His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering wide spread crisis in our nation,” the statement added.
The summit also urged the National Assembly to review provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 that it said could weaken the credibility of elections, and called on INEC to extend deadlines for party primaries to the end of July.
In addition, the parties demanded the release of political actors allegedly detained over bailable offences, arguing that such actions could limit political participation.
They commended Nigerians for what they described as resilience in the face of economic and political challenges, and expressed appreciation to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde for hosting the summit.
The declaration marks one of the clearest attempts yet by opposition parties to coordinate strategy ahead of the 2027 elections, amid ongoing debates about the state of Nigeria’s democracy.
