Nigeria’s G-100 opposition coalition has intensified consultations to select a consensus presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election. The coalition disclosed on Wednesday in Abuja that negotiations with opposition parties and prospective candidates were progressing, with key developments expected before the end of the year.
SDP national chairman Sadiq Gombe made the announcement during the inauguration of the coalition’s Legal and Media Committees. The participating parties include the SDP, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
Four names in the frame
Prominent presidential hopefuls reportedly under consideration include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra governor Peter Obi, former Cross River governor Donald Duke and Adewale Adebayo, with direct talks between party leaders and the aspirants underway. Gombe expressed optimism that the consultations would produce significant progress before the end of 2026.
The newly inaugurated Legal Committee, made up of national legal advisers from the participating parties, will examine constitutional provisions, electoral laws and Supreme Court judgments to keep the alliance compliant. The Media and Publicity Committee will coordinate joint communications.
A long road to unity
G-100 convener Salihu Lukman told Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme that opposition leaders were committed to the plan — and that a consensus candidate could be unveiled months, weeks or even days before the election. “They will come out and tell Nigerians this is the direction, and everybody will queue,” he said, while admitting that a lack of trust among party leaders remains the biggest obstacle.
The consultations have moved beyond press statements into structured negotiations. According to the G-100’s statement, national chairmen and secretaries of all six parties met five presidential candidates — including Atiku, Obi, Makinde, Adebayo and Duke — in meetings described as a practical step toward a cooperation framework. Lukman said the effort has expanded beyond the original six parties, with outreach underway to bring additional parties into the arrangement. The next milestone: the legal committee’s verdict on how a consensus candidacy can survive Nigeria’s electoral laws.
