Donald Duke, Opposition Leaders Storm G100 Summit

Donald Duke, Adewale Adebayo, Babangida Aliyu and other opposition politicians have gathered in Abuja for talks on how Nigeria’s opposition parties can work together to mount a stronger challenge to President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.

The meeting is being held at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre under the auspices of the G-100, a political pressure group that has been pushing for greater cooperation among opposition parties ahead of the next general election.

Duke, who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), arrived at the venue alongside Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, and former Niger State Governor, Babangida Aliyu.

The gathering also attracted APM vice-presidential candidate Lawal Daura, PRP National Chairman Hakeem Baba-Ahmed and SDP vice-presidential candidate Usman Bugaje.

Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Fred Agbedi, G-100 Convener Salihu Lukman and ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi were among other political figures at the summit.

The meeting comes at a time when opposition politicians are intensifying discussions over the possibility of forming a broad alliance ahead of the 2027 presidential contest.

The G-100 has been holding consultations with six opposition parties — the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

The organisation wants the parties to establish a system that will allow them to cooperate while retaining their separate identities.

Rather than making the selection of a presidential candidate the immediate focus, the G-100 wants the opposition parties to first agree on the rules and principles that would govern any future alliance.

Addressing participants at the summit, Lukman urged the parties to put their individual ambitions aside and concentrate on what he described as the broader interest of Nigeria.

He said the opposition must first create a platform for meaningful negotiations before discussing who would occupy particular political positions.

“We are not asking any political party to dissolve. Let us agree that we must build the table before negotiating the seats,” Lukman said.

The G-100 had earlier explained that the summit was designed to begin a formal process through which the parties could address their differences and determine areas of common interest.

The group said the gathering was not intended to produce an immediate decision on who would fly a joint opposition presidential ticket in 2027.

“The first question before party leaders is not who leads the ticket. It is what we are, together, prepared to do for this country,” Lukman said.

He also rejected concerns that cooperation would mean the participating parties would have to surrender their individual structures.

“Cooperation does not require any party to disappear into another,” he stated.

The group is proposing five working groups that could be tasked with developing the institutional framework for the proposed cooperation. Subject to approval by the parties, the groups would have four weeks to work on key documents and agreements that could guide the alliance.

The arrangement is expected to cover some of the difficult issues that could arise as the opposition parties attempt to move towards a common platform.

However, the G-100 said it would not dictate the outcome of the negotiations, stressing that the political parties themselves would make the final decisions.

Lukman had previously warned that allowing opposition parties to remain divided could produce a repeat of the 2023 outcome.

“As opposition parties, we seem to be fragmented. And if we continue the way we are going, we are almost going to replay 2023 scenario. And it’s almost like a case of handing over victory to the ruling party. And then we’ll go back to square one,” he said.

The G-100 has also engaged members of the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives as part of its efforts to broaden support for opposition cooperation.

Lukman said the current situation in Nigeria required opposition leaders to put aside political differences and make a serious attempt at working together.

“We feel given the situation the country is facing today, the country cannot afford another four years of APC government,” he said.

“And that whatever it will take to get our leaders back together, to do the needful, and begin to work together to ensure victory in the 2027 election. We need to do it.”