2027: Utomi Leads Talks With Atiku, Obi, Others on Single Opposition Candidate

Professor Pat Utomi-led Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) is set to hold closed-door consultations with opposition presidential candidates and their party leaders as part of efforts to facilitate the emergence of a single candidate for the 2027 presidential election.

The consultations are expected to be concluded ahead of a tactical session scheduled to take place in Ibadan in about two weeks, according to the MCE.

Among the presidential candidates listed for engagement are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement, Donald Duke of the Peoples Redemption Party, Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Agada of the Young Progressive Party and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.

The development was disclosed in a statement by the MCE Media Coordinator, James Ezema.

The organisation said the meetings would be held behind closed doors to allow the candidates and parties to negotiate the proposed opposition arrangement while limiting interference from individuals opposed to the initiative.

The MCE said the consultations were also aimed at avoiding previous opposition arrangements in which political actors agreed on the need for a united front but encountered disagreements when it became necessary to determine who would lead the alliance.

The movement said the selection of a consensus candidate would be guided by credibility, transparency, fairness, due process and a level playing field, with the modalities and terms of endorsement to be agreed upon by participating candidates and parties.

According to the MCE, factors to be considered in assessing the candidates include national acceptability, competence, integrity, leadership profile, policy orientation, commitment to democratic institutions, capacity to unite the country and ability to work with diverse social interests.

It said the process would also examine the candidates’ understanding of Nigeria’s political and democratic challenges, including what it described as the country’s “national constitutional question.”

The movement said the proposed coalition would not be limited to selecting a presidential candidate but would also develop a common policy and governance agenda that Nigerians could scrutinise before deciding whether to support the arrangement.

It identified insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, poverty, institutional decay, electoral integrity, constitutional reform, education, healthcare, energy and the cost of governance among the issues expected to feature in the proposed common agenda.

“The Nigerian people deserve more than a coalition of political personalities. They deserve a coalition of ideas, competence, values and a coherent ideological programme for national salvation,” the organisation said.

The MCE stressed that its role was not to impose a candidate on any political party or aspirant but to facilitate negotiations through which the opposition could arrive at a broadly acceptable political arrangement.

It also said participating candidates and political parties would be expected to commit in advance to respecting the outcome of the process and supporting the candidate eventually adopted by the proposed coalition.

The initiative is coming amid wider efforts by opposition groups to develop a common platform ahead of the 2027 elections. In August, a group of 100 concerned Nigerians operating under the banner of G100 called for an opposition arrangement built around a single presidential candidate, a common programme and a coordinated strategy.

The G100 subsequently held consultations with opposition parties, including the ADC, APM, NDC, PDP, PRP and SDP, as part of efforts to develop a framework for cooperation ahead of the election.

The Utomi-led commission is expected to include Maryam Ciroma, Modupe Adelaja, former Minister of Youth and Sports Development Solomon Dalung, Uche Onyeagocha, Olusegun Mayegun, Sam Amadi, Mike Iginni, Obongawan Barbara Etim James, Olawale Okunniyi and Dr Adum Ter Alex, among others.

The MCE urged stakeholders involved in the consultations to approach the process with an open mind and prioritise the broader democratic process over individual political ambitions.