By Amofokhai Williams
Nigeria’s major opposition parties have resolved to form a united political front ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring their determination to challenge the dominance of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The resolution, contained in the Ibadan Declaration, was issued at the end of a national summit of opposition political parties held on Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo State.
In the communiqué released, participating parties said the alliance was driven by what they described as “collective threats” and “existential challenges” confronting the country under the current administration.
The opposition accused the APC of attempting to undermine Nigeria’s democratic structure, stating: “That 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.”
The coalition also rejected what it called efforts to impose President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate in 2027, insisting it would actively participate in the electoral process.
“That despite the onslaughts and manoeuvrings of the ruling party, the APC to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole Presidential candidate in 2027; we shall field candidates and contest the 2027 Presidential and other elections,” the communiqué stated.
In a significant move, the opposition bloc announced plans to work towards presenting a single presidential candidate for the 2027 election, a strategy aimed at consolidating votes against the ruling party.
“That 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,” the parties declared.
The summit also took a swipe at the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), calling for the removal of its chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan, over alleged bias.
“That the INEC Chairman, having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him. His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering wide spread crisis in our nation,” the communiqué read.
The parties further called on the National Assembly to urgently amend the Electoral Act 2026 to safeguard the integrity of elections, while also demanding the release of politicians allegedly detained on bailable offences.
They criticised recent guidelines issued by INEC, describing them as restrictive and designed to disadvantage opposition parties.
“We therefore demand that INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July, 2026,” the communiqué added.
The opposition coalition also commended Nigerians for their resilience and expressed appreciation to Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for hosting what it described as a landmark political gathering.
