Plans by opposition parties to present a single presidential candidate against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election have suffered a major setback, with a chieftain of the G-100 political pressure group declaring the proposal effectively dead.
Umanu Elijah, a member of the group, said opposition politicians had shown little willingness to abandon their individual ambitions and support a common candidate.
He made the disclosure during a telephone interview with The PUNCH on Sunday, blaming the failure of the coalition initiative on the inability of political actors to make the necessary compromises.
The G-100 was established by former Director-General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, Salihu Lukman, to promote a broad opposition alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.
The group believes that opposition parties would face difficulties defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) if they enter the presidential race separately.
It has therefore been pushing for discussions among opposition leaders to establish a common political platform and agree on one presidential candidate.
As part of the initiative, the group consulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, alongside other influential political figures.
The consultations aimed to bring different opposition interests together and prevent the division of votes that could weaken their challenge against Tinubu.
However, continued political activities by opposition parties and their leading figures have raised doubts about the possibility of reaching an agreement.
Elijah said the proposal for a single opposition candidate had effectively collapsed because none of the major contenders appeared ready to make concessions.
He pointed to the ongoing campaigns by the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) and other political parties as evidence that the consensus arrangement was losing relevance.
According to him, the political actors are continuing with their individual ambitions rather than working towards a common presidential ticket.
Opposition Parties Face Uncertainty Ahead of 2027 Election
The continued campaign activities of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), APM and other opposition parties have further weakened expectations of an agreement on a joint presidential candidate.
The opposition consensus candidate proposal was initially driven by fears that multiple presidential contenders would divide opposition votes and give the APC an advantage in the next election.
However, several prominent political figures have continued to pursue their individual political ambitions.
They include Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Seyi Makinde and Adewale Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The politicians have yet to publicly demonstrate a willingness to withdraw their presidential ambitions in favour of another contender under a consensus arrangement.
This situation raises the possibility that opposition parties could approach the 2027 election as separate political forces rather than a united coalition.
Elijah’s comments suggest that the G-100’s efforts to secure an opposition consensus candidate have reached a critical point, with little indication that the leading political figures are prepared to compromise.
Meanwhile, efforts by The PUNCH to obtain Lukman’s reaction were unsuccessful. He reportedly did not answer telephone calls or respond to WhatsApp messages sent to him.