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The camps of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi have rejected calls for the opposition to field a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general election, signalling fresh hurdles for efforts to build a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The proposal was put forward by the G-100, a political pressure group led by former Director-General of the Progressive Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, which has been advocating a broad opposition coalition to avoid a split in anti-APC votes.
Speaking on Saturday, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the former vice president was focused on presenting policy alternatives rather than discussions about a consensus candidate. He maintained that Nigerians would ultimately decide who leads the country based on the quality of policies presented by the contestants.
According to Shaibu, Atiku remains the most prepared opposition figure to govern the country, urging voters to assess all presidential hopefuls on the strength of their programmes ahead of the 2027 election.
Peter Obi's camp also rejected the notion that only a single opposition candidate could defeat President Bola Tinubu. While welcoming efforts to strengthen collaboration among opposition parties, the National Democratic Coalition (NDC), with which Obi is aligned, insisted that Nigeria's electoral history shows that an incumbent can be defeated without all opposition parties rallying behind one candidate.
NDC National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, said the party believes Obi is the strongest candidate to lead any future coalition if opposition parties eventually agree on a joint presidential ticket. He argued that the focus should be on presenting the most credible candidate rather than insisting on a mandatory consensus arrangement.
The differing positions underscore the challenges facing opposition leaders as they seek to build a coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election. With both Atiku and Obi enjoying significant political support, negotiations over leadership, party structure and the presidential ticket are expected to remain key issues as discussions continue.
