2027 Election: Opposition parties agree to field one candidate against Tinubu

Opposition political parties in Nigeria on Saturday said they have agreed to field one candidate for the 2027 presidential election, which will most likely have President Bola Tinubu as the candidate of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

The agreement was announced in a communique issued at the end of a national summit, held at the Banquet Hall of the Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, on Saturday.

In the communique, Taminu Turaki, the National Chairman of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), explained that the leaders across the opposition parties would work to achieve the goal.

According to him, the agreement is to rescue the nation and its long-suffering masses.

The leaders equally said they would resist all machinations by the APC to foist a one-party state on Nigeria and fight for the survival of multi-party democracy.

They called on the National Assembly to immediately review the Electoral Act 2026 by removing all sections that threaten the sanctity and integrity of elections and run counter to constitutional provisions.

According to the communique, the leaders expressed their reservations about having the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Joash Amupitan, a professor, to conduct the 2027 general elections.

They accused the INEC boss of demonstrating bias and partisanship, questioning his capacity to ensure the neutrality required to deliver free, fair, transparent, and credible elections.

The opposition leaders also considered INEC’s recently released guidelines to be obstacles, claiming they were deliberately designed to impose conditions and deadlines on the opposition parties.

“We, therefore, demand that INEC extend the deadline for primaries till the end of July 2026,” read the communique.

The parties also called for the immediate release of all detained leading politicians and those being harassed for bailable offences.

This, they said, would allow them to exercise their fundamental rights of participation and inclusivity as Nigerians.

The opposition, however, commended Nigerians for their resilience and readiness to work with opposition parties to free the nation.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that parties at the summit include the African Democratic Party (ADC), Labour Party (LP), and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP). It is unclear if other political parties in the country would embrace the one-candidate initiative.

The following notable political leaders were present: Abubakar Atiku, Aminu Tambuwal, Jerry Gana, Babangida Aliyu, and Peter Obi.

Others are Kabiru Turaki, Raufu Aregbesola, Rabiu Kwankwaso, David Mark, Pat Utomi and Seyi Makinde.

Speaking on the Ibadan summit, Atiku said, via a statement posted on his Facebook post, “At today’s National Opposition Summit in Ibadan, Oyo State, we spoke with one voice, fearless, and unmistakable: the time has come to forge a united opposition, bound by purpose and driven by the sacred duty to defend and sustain our democracy.

“This is not a choice; it is an obligation we owe to Nigeria and to generations yet unborn.”