Opposition political leaders in Nigeria have pledged to resist any attempt to present President Bola Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The position was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting tagged “National Summit of Opposition Political Party Leaders”, held in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Saturday and hosted by Governor Seyi Makinde.
The gathering was attended by several prominent political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, former Minister of Information Professor Jerry Gana, Aisha Yesufu, Professor Pat Utomi, and former Sports Minister Solomon Dalung.
Others present included former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Kwara State Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, among others.
In the communiqué, the opposition leaders vowed to resist what they described as efforts to impose a one-party system in the country, insisting they would participate actively in the 2027 elections.
They also stated that they would work towards presenting a consensus presidential candidate for the elections, to be supported by participating opposition parties.
The document further expressed concerns about the credibility of the electoral process, stating that the current Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, should not be allowed to conduct the 2027 general elections.
The leaders said their objective was to safeguard multi-party democracy and ensure what they described as credible and competitive elections in 2027.
