Fourteen opposition political groups have pledged to rally behind one presidential candidate to fight President Bola Tinubu at the 2027 general election in a move they hailed as a crucial step to protect Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
The resolution, tagged the Ibadan Declaration, was taken during a high level national meeting convened on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, with major opposition stakeholders present.
Parties represented at the summit include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Democratic Coalition (NDC), Labour Party (LP), Action Peoples Party (APP), Accord Party, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Alliance (AA), Democratic Liberation Alliance (DLA), Young Progressives Party (YPP), Action Democratic Party (ADP) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
PDP National Chairman, Taminu Turaki, who read the communiqué on behalf of the participating party chairmen, said the alliance was created out of “an existential necessity to rescue Nigeria from the stranglehold” of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We will work to present one presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, that will be agreed and supported by all opposition parties participating to save our country and her long suffering masses,” Turaki said.
The alliance said its main aim is to prevent Nigeria from becoming a one-party state, with the APC accused of scheming to place Tinubu as the sole credible challenger in the next election cycle.
The coalition was very critical of the electoral system, passing a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, whom they accused of siding with the ruling party.
“The continued stay in office of the INEC chairman is vexatious and capable of causing a national crisis,” the communiqué said, calling for his removal with a neutral figure to ensure genuine elections.
The declaration also listed major requests including an immediate review of the Electoral Act 2026 to eliminate “objectionable clauses” alleged to threaten electoral integrity. The parties also urged for the timeframe for party primaries to be extended until the end of July 2026, saying the current timelines were restrictive.
They also sought the release of politicians who have been purportedly jailed or harassed for bailable charges, terming it a violation of fundamental human rights.
“We commend the resilience of Nigerians in the face of state capture and reaffirm our unwavering commitment to multiparty democracy,” the communiqué said, promising to reject any move to suppress political competition.
The coalition also commended the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde for hosting the summit, noting the gathering as “an epochal event’’ in the build-up to the 2027 general election.
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