FOR THE RECORD: Ibadan Declaration: What major opposition parties agreed ahead 2027

Nigeria’s major opposition parties agreed on Saturday to field a single candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The parties stated this in a communique released at the end of their conference in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

“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 communiqué states.

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the conference was attended by leaders of some major opposition parties, including the ADC and a faction of the PDP.

Some of the presidential hopefuls that attended the meeting include ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Anambra Governor Peter Obi, ex-Rivers Governor Rotimi Amaechi and Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, who hosted the event.

The parties also said they have lost confidence in the chairman of the electoral commission, INEC, Josh Amupitan.

Read the full communiqué below.

Communiqué issued at the end of Opposition Political Parties National Summit held on Saturday April 25, 2026 in Ibadan, Oyo State.

Participating Opposition Parties in Nigeria, after an extensive deliberation on the collective threats that we face and the existential challenges facing our country under the stranglehold of the oppressive and anti-democratic All Progressives Congress (APC) and given the need for urgent, collective action to rescue our nation and the destiny of over 200 million compatriots, hereby resolve as follows:

1. That we shall resist all machinations by the APC to foist a one-party State on Nigeria and fight for the survival of multi-party democracy in our country.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

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

6. That all leading politicians that are being detained or harassed on bailable offfences be released with immediate effect and allowed to exercise their fundamental rights of participation and inclusivity as Nigerians.

7. That we consider the recent guidelines released by the INEC as obstacles, deliberately engineered to impose conditions and deadlines on the opposition parties. We therefore demand that INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July, 2026.

8. The Summit commends Nigerians for their resilience and readiness to work with Opposition Parties to free our nation from State capture.

9. The National summit of Opposition Political Parties thank the Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for hosting the epochal event.

SIGNED:

Chairmen of Participating Opposition Parties.