Main opposition political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, on Saturday, struck an agreement to present a jont presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections to challenge the incumbent President Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Both PDP and ADC adopted this resolution on Saturday at the national summit of the opposition political party leaders held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The opposition parties also issued a stern warning that Nigeria’s democracy is under increasing strain and requires urgent collective action to safeguard it.
The summit, which was entitled; “Safeguarding Nigeria’s Democracy: A National Dialogue,” brought together key opposition figures across party lines, culminating in the adoption of a joint communiqué known as the “Ibadan Declaration.”
The leaders at the summit said the decision to rally behind a single candidate was driven by the need to avoid fragmentation of votes and strengthen the opposition’s chances at the polls.
Addressing the gathering, Governor Seyi Makinde, the host of the summit, warned of a steady erosion of democratic competition, noting that the concentration of political power under one party threatens pluralism.
Makinde reminded the ruling party of the ‘wet e’ era in Ibadan, which he said must not be allowed to repeat itself.
“Democracy without opposition is not democracy, it is a slow drift toward a one-party state,” he said.
Factional National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Taminu Turaki, on his part, described the move as both strategic and necessary, warning that disunity has historically weakened opposition efforts.
“A single stick can be broken easily, but a bundle of sticks is far more difficult to break,” he said, urging political actors to prioritise national interest over individual ambition.
Also speaking, former Senate President David Mark described the moment as a “national rescue mission,” stressing that no single opposition party could confront the current political structure alone.
“We cannot confront the future as fragmented entities. This is the time to rewrite the story of coalition building in Nigeria,” Mark said.
