Opposition parties across Nigeria have declared their
determination to challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC), warning of threats to democratic governance ahead of the 2027
general elections.
The declaration was made in a communiqué issued after a
national summit held in Ibadan on Saturday, where key opposition figures,
including Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi and
Rauf Aregbesola, met to chart a common strategy.
Reading the communiqué, the factional chairman of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Taminu Turaki, said: “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.”
On the 2027 elections, the opposition dismissed claims of a
predetermined outcome, stating: “Despite the onslaughts and manoeuvrings of the
ruling party… we shall field candidates and contest the 2027 Presidential and
other elections.”
The parties also signalled plans for a united ticket,
declaring: “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.”
Raising concerns about the electoral umpire, the communiqué
stated: “The INEC Chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan, having shown bias and
partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general
elections.”
It further warned: “His continuous stay in office is
vexatious and capable of triggering widespread crisis in our nation.”
On electoral reforms, the opposition urged lawmakers to act
swiftly, saying: “The National Assembly should immediately review the Electoral
Act, 2026 to remove all sections that threaten the sanctity and integrity of
the elections.”
The communiqué also addressed alleged political repression,
stating: “All leading politicians that are being detained or harassed on
bailable offences be released with immediate effect and allowed to exercise
their fundamental rights of participation and inclusivity as Nigerians.”
Criticising recent electoral guidelines, the parties said:
“We consider the recent guidelines released by INEC as obstacles, deliberately
engineered to impose conditions and deadlines on the opposition parties,”
adding, “INEC [should] extend the deadline for primaries till the end of July,
2026.”
Earlier in his address, the host governor, Seyi Makinde,
warned that Nigeria’s democracy was facing a gradual erosion due to increasing
political concentration and the weakening of opposition parties.
He stated: “Across Nigeria today, we are witnessing a level
of political concentration that should concern all of us… taken together, they
point to a pattern where the space for real political competition is
disappearing.”
Makinde cautioned that democracy “is not destroyed
overnight,” but “weakened step by step,” stressing that “when opposition
becomes ineffective, democracy itself begins to lose meaning.”
He emphasised that democracy must be defined by “the
existence of real alternatives” and warned that without this, “what we have may
still be called democracy, but it will no longer function as one.”
Highlighting the significance of Ibadan as the venue, he
noted: “Ibadan has always served as the political capital of southwest Nigeria…
this gathering… carries that same responsibility” as past historic
constitutional conversations.
The governor also clarified the intent of the summit,
saying: “It is not a gang-up against one man; and it is not about individual
ambitions to be president. It is about the collective ambition of the Nigerian
people to have a democracy properly defined.”
Makinde, however, warned that: “Democracy without opposition
is not democracy, it is a slow drift toward a one-party State. And Nigeria must
not make that drift,” urging stakeholders to “think clearly, speak honestly,
and act with a sense of responsibility that goes beyond party lines.”
In his intervention, political economist and strategist, Pat
Utomi, painted a stark picture of the country’s economic hardship, using a
personal experience to illustrate the widening gap between living costs and
citizens’ income.
He said: “Let me begin with a simple experience from
yesterday. I set out to buy fuel, and by the time I was done, I had spent
nearly 250,000 naira just to fill my tank.“
“At the same time, I came across a report showing that a
large percentage of Nigerians live on less than 100,000 naira a month. That
contrast is not just troubling, it is absurd. If that doesn’t reveal something
fundamentally broken in our system, then nothing will.”
Utomi noted that the crisis extended beyond fuel prices,
stressing: “Food prices are rising, insecurity continues to disrupt
agriculture, and ordinary people are struggling to survive.“
“Yet we are often told to ‘be patient,’ that things will
improve with time. But patience means very little to those who are hungry
today.”
Reflecting on Nigeria’s past, he added: “In the years
leading up to independence, Nigeria was not industrialised, but there was a
clear vision. Within a few years, manufacturing began to grow significantly.
There was direction, there was purpose.”
He argued that the country’s challenges were not only
economic but moral, stating: “Leadership without character cannot build a
nation. The crisis we face today is not only economic—it is moral.”
Utomi further emphasised Nigeria’s untapped potential,
saying: “Every region has resources, talent, and potential. Yet we have become
overly dependent on oil, neglecting other sectors and weakening our economic
foundation.”
Calling for urgent reforms, he said: “We need leadership
with character. We need policies that reflect our realities, not borrowed
solutions that do not fit our context. Above all, we must listen to the voices
of the people.”
He expressed optimism that: “The situation we face is
serious, but it is not hopeless. With the right leadership, the right values,
and a shared commitment to progress, we can rebuild this nation and create a
future that works for all.”
Also addressing the summit, the National Chairman of the
African Democratic Congress (ADC), David Mark, described the gathering as a
critical moment in Nigeria’s history, calling it “an urgent response to our
nation’s call to patriotic duty.”
He said: “My prayer is that history will remember us, that
when the nation cried out to be rescued, we answered. When children went to bed
hungry, we answered, when proud, hardworking citizens were turned to beggars;
we answered.”
Raising alarm over insecurity, Mark stated: “Across the
length and breadth of our country, insecurity has become a defining feature of
daily life. Nigeria faces a historic challenge.”
Citing grim statistics, he added: “In 2025 alone, Nigeria
recorded more than 12,000 conflict-related deaths. Nigeria is now ranked 4th in
global terrorism index. At least 15 Nigerians are killed daily, while about 19
people are abducted.”
He criticised the government’s response, saying: “We are a
nation that is constantly in mourning, yet the APC-led government is behaving
as if all is well,” accusing it of being “preoccupied with election matters and
politics of self-succession.”
On democracy, Mark warned: “The essence of democracy is to
provide the people with a choice… however, the ruling party has done everything
to deny the people of Nigeria this very right to seek an alternative.”
He described the opposition’s task as a “national rescue
mission,” stressing: “No single opposition political party, can confront a
system so entrenched. We must be united to salvage our nation.”
Mark further alleged deliberate efforts to weaken opposition
parties, stating: “The move towards a one-party state is real, institutions
that should safeguard our freedom, are increasingly under assault.”
He insisted that the struggle transcended politics,
declaring: “This contest is between the ruling party APC, and the Nigerian
people, we are on the side of the people.”
Questioning the credibility of the electoral body, he said:
“When the referee clearly and proudly wears the jersey of one of the teams,
then the legitimacy of the entire process is undermined,” adding that Nigerians
had lost confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
He called for unity and sacrifice, noting that: “Let this
summit go down in history as the moment when everything changed, we chose unity
over division, sacrifice over self, and country above all.”
By
TheTimes Nigeria
