The Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has urged opposition political parties to set aside their differences and work towards fielding a single presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
The caucus said a united opposition would stand a better chance of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and ending its hold on power.
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The Minority Leader of the House, Frederick Agbedi (PDP, Bayelsa), made the call on Tuesday after a meeting with members of the G100 opposition coalition led by Salihu Lukman, a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The G100 is seeking to bring opposition politicians and parties together ahead of the 2027 elections, with the ultimate objective of establishing a common platform and producing a consensus presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the APC.
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Mr Agbedi described Tuesday’s meeting as the beginning of a collaboration between the House Minority Caucus and the coalition to mobilise opposition forces ahead of the elections.
“We have also used this opportunity to decide that we call on all members of opposition, no matter the party you belong, no matter your ambition, that there is strength in unity and that the opposition should unite to ensure that we wrestle power from the APC in 2027,” he said.
The lawmaker said the worsening economic hardship in the country should motivate opposition politicians to put aside personal ambitions and work collectively to provide an alternative to the ruling party.
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“Nigerians are seriously in pain, Nigerians are wailing, Nigerians are so frustrated, and there is no reason why, as opposition voices, we should not stand up for Nigerians and bring support to them,” Mr Agbedi said.
He warned that the continued fragmentation of the opposition could lead to a repeat of the 2023 presidential election, when opposition votes were divided among several candidates.
“Our concern is simple. As opposition parties, we seem to be fragmented, and if we continue the way we are going, we are almost going to replay the 2023 scenario,” he said.
“It’s almost like a case of handing over victory to the ruling party and then we go back to square one.”
According to Mr Agbedi, the G100 has already held consultations with prominent figures from six opposition parties, including presidential candidates, their running mates and national chairpersons.
He said the responses to the proposal for a united opposition had so far been encouraging.
Summit postponed
Mr Lukman, who spoke alongside the lawmakers, said the coalition had initially planned to hold its national opposition summit on Tuesday but postponed it to allow more time for consultations with political leaders.
He said the decision was also taken to prevent the summit from coinciding with the signing of a national peace accord.
The summit has now been rescheduled for 31 August and is expected to attract prominent opposition politicians, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Anambra Governor Peter Obi, alongside leaders of opposition parties and other political stakeholders.
Mr Lukman said the coalition was established in response to concerns that divisions among opposition parties could once again split the anti-APC vote and produce an outcome similar to that of the 2023 presidential election.
The former APC Deputy National Chairman (North-west) said the G100 had also established a technical committee to drive the consultation process.
He said the Minority Caucus of the House had agreed to nominate representatives to the committee.
According to him, the initiative has also expanded beyond its original 100 members as more Nigerians continue to express interest in joining the campaign for a united opposition.
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“This is not about us, it’s about the country,” Mr Lukman said, urging opposition leaders to work together to ensure that the 2027 election would not be “business as usual”.
Also speaking, Sergius Ogun, a former member of the House and a member of the G100 delegation, said opposition parties would have a stronger chance of defeating President Tinubu if they presented a united front.
“Like he rightly said, the weakest of us can defeat this president. But it will be sweeter if we come together,” Mr Ogun said.
He urged opposition politicians to stop expending their energy on attacking one another and instead unite behind a common voice against the ruling party.
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