Opposition Parties Agree to Field Single Presidential Candidate Against Tinubu in 2027

A coalition of opposition political parties in Nigeria has formally resolved to present a single consensus presidential candidate to challenge the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general election, a decision now being referred to as the Ibadan Declaration.

The agreement was reached on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at a national summit of opposition leaders held in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, with Governor Seyi Makinde serving as the chief host. The announcement was made after extensive deliberations involving the Peoples Democratic Party, the African Democratic Congress, and at least 12 other political parties including the Labour Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party, and the Peoples Redemption Party.

Reading the communiqué on behalf of the participating chairmen, the National Chairman of the PDP, Taminu Turaki, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, declared that the move is an existential necessity to rescue the country from what they described as the stranglehold of the ruling party. The communiqué stated, “We shall work towards fielding one presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties to rescue our nation and her long-suffering masses”.

The coalition vowed to resist all machinations by the APC to foist a one-party state on Nigeria, stating that despite the ruling party’s manoeuvrings to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate in 2027, they shall contest the election. The Ibadan gathering was attended by prominent opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Senate President David Mark, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

Governor Seyi Makinde urged the coalition not to move in fragments but as one united opposition, arguing that only a unified force could lead to success in the upcoming election. “We will field only one presidential candidate that will be agreed upon by all opposition parties,” Makinde was quoted as saying during the gathering.

Beyond the presidential candidate agreement, the opposition parties also demanded the immediate resignation of the Independent National Electoral Commission chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, whom they accused of partisanship in favour of the APC . The communiqué stated, “That the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections as Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him”.

The coalition further called on the National Assembly to immediately review the Electoral Act to remove sections that threaten electoral integrity, and demanded that INEC extend the deadline for primaries until the end of July 2026. The parties also called for the release of all leading politicians being detained on bailable offences.

The Ibadan Declaration represents a significant realignment in Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 polls, where President Bola Tinubu is widely expected to seek a second term. However, observers note that the coalition faces major internal challenges, particularly the question of which heavyweight among Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rabiu Kwankwaso will emerge as the consensus candidate.