2027: Can opposition unite?

In 2027, the possibility of opposition political parties uniting to endorse a common candidate for the presidential election has been revisited by the G-100, a group of opposition parties. The G-100, which includes the African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party, and the Social Democratic Party, recently reintroduced the idea of forming a coalition for the upcoming 2027 general elections.

The proposal comes after previous attempts at unifying the opposition parties, despite disagreements during primary elections.

The G-100 is organizing a Summit of Opposition Political Parties, set to be held on Monday, August 31, 2026, after being rescheduled from its original date of August 18. The summit aims to facilitate discussions on the necessary steps for enhancing opposition unity. The convener of the summit, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, stated that extensive consultations have been held with the participating parties and members of the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives, resulting in frank and substantive discussions.

These consultations have shown a mutual recognition within the parties of the importance of a credible opposition ahead of the 2027 elections, and a willingness to engage in a structured manner.

Despite the parties' willingness to engage in the process, a point of disagreement remains regarding the issue of who would step down from their positions if a coalition were formed. All six participating parties have their presidential candidates, running mates, and national chairmen. While the NDC expressed readiness to participate in the coalition talks, led by its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, another party official expressed doubts about the coalition's feasibility, highlighting the selfish nature of some politicians involved.