A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by former Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Kabiru Turaki, has endorsed a proposal by some opposition politicians in the country to field a single presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
The faction, in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, said presenting a single candidate against President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is necessary to defeat the ruling party in the forthcoming election.
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A group of opposition leaders, which identified itself as G-100, converged on Abuja on Monday to discuss strategies for challenging the APC in the 2027 presidential election. The ruling party is fielding President Tinubu, who is seeking a second term in office.
However, major opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi, the flagbearer of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), were absent from the meeting.
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Representatives of six opposition parties, namely the ADC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), NDC, Turaki-led PDP, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), attended the summit.
There are about 22 political parties in Nigeria.
At the end of the meeting, the parties agreed to establish standing committees and working groups to develop proposals on opposition unity, a national reform programme and a roadmap towards producing a common presidential candidate.
Why the PDP faction supports a single candidate
Mr Ememobong said his faction supports the proposal to field a single presidential candidate because of the pains and hardships Nigerians are experiencing under the Tinubu administration.
He quoted the faction’s National Chairman, Mr Turaki, as saying the group believes that a transparent process of opposition collaboration could produce a credible leadership for Nigerians.
“This decision is informed by the wailings of Nigerians groaning under the repressive Bola Tinubu APC-led federal government, and the compelling need to join forces with other credible political forces in search of the country’s redemption.
“Our participation is anchored on the promise that the process will be hinged on the philosophical underpinnings of transparency, equality, data-driven decisions and egalitarianism. Any result birthed by a process midwifed by these virtues will certainly offer Nigerians a credible leadership capable of alleviating the skyrocketing poverty and rising insecurity in the country,” he quoted Mr Turaki as saying.
Mr Ememobong said the initiative was also consistent with the faction’s earlier position of building working relationships with like-minded political parties and organisations.
“This new move aligns with our earlier stated disposition of working with like-minded political parties and organisations desirous of salvaging the country from the many vices orchestrated by the ruling APC.
“Our participation at the first meeting of the G-100 on 31st August, 2026 is a further indication of our preparedness to contribute our quota in the quest for an all-opposition platform that will take power from the incumbent and rebuild Nigeria for the good of all Nigerians,” the statement said.
Earlier attempt at opposition unity
The latest negotiation for a single opposition presidential candidate is not the first of such initiatives ahead of the 2027 election.
On 25 April, opposition political leaders and representatives of some political parties converged on Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, where they agreed to work towards presenting a common presidential candidate against President Tinubu.
The resolution, contained in what was called the “Ibadan Declaration,” was aimed at preventing the fragmentation of opposition votes and strengthening the chances of defeating the ruling party in the 2027 presidential election.
The meeting was attended by several prominent opposition figures, including Atiku, Mr Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso and former governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi.
However, the agreement soon faced opposition from some political parties and factions, which said they were either not represented at the meeting or did not endorse its resolutions.
The Labour Party, for instance, said it was not part of the Ibadan summit and would field its own presidential candidate, while the Accord Party also disowned the meeting and said it did not authorise the use of its name or logo.
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A faction of the PDP aligned with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, also rejected the Ibadan declaration and opposed the proposal for a single opposition presidential candidate.
The African Action Congress (AAC) led by Omoyele Sowore similarly rejected the proposal, saying it would field its own candidate.
The disagreements exposed the difficulty of achieving a broad opposition alliance, particularly as several parties and political blocs had their own presidential ambitions.
By July, reports indicated that the push for a common candidate was losing momentum, with some of the factions that had either participated in or been associated with the Ibadan initiative distancing themselves from the proposal.
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