KEY POINTS

• Opposition parties under the G-100 platform will hold an Abuja summit on August 18 to pursue unity for 2027.
• Six parties, including the PDP, ADC and SDP, joined consultations on presenting a credible alternative.
• The effort draws on the Ibadan Declaration’s call for the opposition to field a single presidential candidate.

A coalition of opposition parties and stakeholders under the G-100 platform will hold a summit in Abuja on August 18 to push for greater unity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The summit follows consultations between the G-100 and leaders of six opposition parties: the African Democratic Congress, the Allied Peoples Movement, the National Democratic Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the Peoples Redemption Party and the Social Democratic Party.

Consultations set the stage

In a statement on Monday, Salihu Lukman said the talks created a basis for deeper discussions on how the opposition could present a credible alternative in 2027. According to the G-100, its representatives met the parties’ national chairmen, presidential candidates and running mates, and they kept the meetings away from the media so leaders could speak frankly. Because the issues were sensitive, the group said, that privacy let party leaders engage without premature public pressure.

Moreover, the group said a common position emerged around the need to overcome differences and build a coordinated front. However, it acknowledged that unity would demand real concessions, since a strong opposition could only form through sacrifice, compromise and a willingness to put the country above partisan interest. The group added that any deal must still respect the legitimate interests of each party.

A single candidate in view

The August 18 summit will let the parties begin talks on how to cooperate, and the G-100 said it would facilitate rather than dictate the outcome. Furthermore, the group tied the effort to the Ibadan Declaration, which urges the opposition to find a credible path toward fielding a sole candidate in 2027. It said preparations were already underway with the participating parties and would stay deliberate, inclusive and anchored on mutual respect.

Still, the coalition warned that goodwill must become a workable framework. It argued that a fragmented opposition could struggle to challenge the ruling party, whatever the strength of individual candidates, and it cited what it called the Doctrine of Necessary Democratic Opposition. Therefore, it called for patience, courage and sacrifice, and it framed the summit as a test of whether the parties can move beyond narrow interests. The talks come as parties upload their candidates and running mates to the INEC portal.