Former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice Chairman Salihu Lukman says opposition parties working toward a united front against President Bola Tinubu could announce a single presidential candidate just weeks or days before the 2027 general elections.
Lukman, convener of the G100 political pressure group, said negotiations among opposition parties were progressing, with participating parties taking ownership of the process to build trust and agree on a consensus candidate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Hard Copy, he expressed confidence that the parties would eventually reach an agreement, although the announcement could come close to election day.
He said the initiative, which followed an opposition summit in Ibadan in April 2026, initially involved six political parties but was being expanded to accommodate other interested parties.
According to Lukman, the parties and their presidential candidates have assumed responsibility for negotiations previously facilitated by the G100, allowing them to build the confidence required to make a collective decision.
He identified the lack of trust among opposition parties and their candidates as the major obstacle to the emergence of a consensus candidate.
Lukman disclosed that a summit held on August 31 agreed to establish five working groups, including one specifically tasked with producing a single presidential candidate.
He said representatives nominated by the parties and candidates would participate in the process to ensure that the final decision reflected their collective mandate.
The former APC chieftain warned that opposition candidates risk helping the ruling party if they insist on pursuing separate presidential ambitions despite the need for a united front.
He cited the challenge of dividing opposition votes among several candidates, including Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, arguing that such fragmentation could make it more difficult to defeat the incumbent.
“The arithmetic is simple: you can’t split votes five ways and expect victory in one of you,” he said.
Lukman also clarified that the proposed arrangement would not require the parties to merge their manifestos. Instead, they would develop a minimum programme of action that any candidate emerging from the alliance would commit to implementing if elected.
He said the arrangement could result in a candidate running under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), another party or a new political platform created through an alliance.
Lukman added that he had no ambition to contest an election or seek an appointive or elective office, saying his involvement was aimed at facilitating a credible opposition coalition.
He also explained that his earlier withdrawal from the ADC was linked to internal disagreements in Kaduna State, adding that he had since resumed membership of the party.
