By Muhammad A. Abubakar • Coalition warns divided opposition will hand Tinubu another victory • Calls emergency talks to produce one presid...
By Muhammad A. Abubakar
• Coalition warns divided opposition will hand Tinubu another victory
• Calls emergency talks to produce one presidential candidate
A powerful coalition of 100 eminent Nigerians under the banner of the G-100 has issued a dramatic warning to Nigeria's opposition leaders, declaring that only a united front can stop the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election.
In a seven-page open letter titled "The Doctrine of a Necessary Democratic Opposition," dated August 2, 2026, the coalition urged the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and other opposition heavyweights to immediately shelve personal ambitions and agree on a single presidential candidate.
The letter, signed by former APC National Vice Chairman (North-West), Salihu Lukman, former House of Representatives member Nnenna Ukeje, former Kogi State Deputy Governor Simon Achuba, Professor Anthony Kila, and 96 other prominent Nigerians, warned that Nigeria's democracy is under increasing strain due to a fragmented opposition and the growing concentration of political power.
According to the coalition, the country's biggest danger is no longer limited to inflation, unemployment, or poverty, but the steady weakening of democratic institutions as opposition parties remain divided.
"There are seasons in the life of every nation when neutrality becomes a form of consent, and silence becomes an accomplice to decline. Nigeria has entered such a season," the group declared.
The G-100 argued that Nigeria has created a political system that rewards loyalty above competence and patronage above public service, insisting that such a system can only deepen poverty and national decline.
The coalition accused opposition parties of allowing internal rivalries and personal ambitions to overshadow their responsibility of presenting Nigerians with a credible alternative to the APC-led government.
"The ruling party grows stronger not only because of its organisation but because those expected to challenge it have become divided by ambition rather than united by purpose," the letter stated.
To reverse the trend, the coalition announced plans to convene a National Council of Opposition Leaders within the next two weeks. The meeting is expected to bring together Atiku, Obi, Kwankwaso, Amaechi, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, former Senate President David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and other opposition figures to negotiate a common political strategy and agree on a consensus presidential candidate.
The coalition insisted that Nigeria cannot afford another fractured opposition, warning that any leader who insists on pursuing an individual presidential ambition risks paving the way for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's re-election in 2027.
"Nigeria cannot be rescued by opposition leaders who march separately toward the same defeat. Personal ambition must submit to national necessity," the group declared.
The proposed meeting will also seek what the coalition described as "a solemn covenant" among opposition leaders to place national interest above personal political aspirations and adopt the Ibadan Declaration of April 2026 as the foundation for negotiating a consensus presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general election.
No comments