•Recommends members of post-Tinubu Cabinet

By BONIFACE AKARAH

The Good Governance Group (GGG), a non-partisan organisation advocating democracy and good governance, has urged opposition parties seeking a united platform for the 2027 general elections to adopt a Southern presidential candidate and commit to a one-term presidency if elected.

The group said the proposed arrangement would complete what it described as the Southern turn while giving a coalition government a four-year window to establish a new governance architecture, strengthen the rule of law and prepare a new generation of Nigerian leaders.

The advisory followed renewed discussions on the formation of a united opposition coalition, including a recent Arise News Morning Show conversation involving Salihu Lukman, a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and co-anchor Rufai Oseni. According to the GGG, Lukman and other concerned opposition figures have been working towards the emergence of a coalition that would support a single presidential candidate in 2027.

The GGG said it supports the emergence of a strong opposition because, in its view, democracy functions better where there is effective political competition.

GGG backs Southern presidential candidate

At the centre of the group's proposal is its insistence that the opposition's presidential candidate should come from Southern Nigeria.

The GGG said the position was informed by the 2023 presidential election and what it described as the continued position of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) that the presidency should remain in the South until 2031.

The organisation stated:

“That the consensus Presidential Candidate for the Opposition Coalition Parties in 2027 Preside MUST come from SOUTHERN NIGERIA. In the 2023 Presidential Election, 4 out of the 6 geo political zones in Nigeria took a joint decision through their Socio-Economic-Political non partisan umbrella, the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), that following 8 years of a NORTHERN PRESIDENT, that the President of Nigeria from 2023 to 2031 should come from Southern Nigeria.”

The group argued that the voting pattern in 2023 reinforced the importance of its proposal, noting that Atiku Abubakar, whom it described as the major northern presidential candidate in that election, secured 19 per cent of his votes in Southern Nigeria and 25 per cent in the Middle Belt.

It consequently warned that selecting another northern presidential candidate could limit the opposition's ability to compete effectively across the country's six geopolitical zones.

One-term presidency proposed

The GGG also wants the opposition coalition to make a one-term presidency a central part of its agreement if it wins the 2027 election.

According to the organisation, the arrangement would allow the coalition to complete the Southern turn while concentrating its four-year tenure on institutional reforms rather than prolonged political succession battles.

The group said:

“The Opposition Parties Coalition is committed to a ONE TERM PRESIDENCY to complete the Southern turn, if elected by Nigerians in 2027. It must be a foundation laying Government, focused on erecting a new Governance Architecture for Nigeria, and maximum respect for Rule of Law instead of the current prevailing Rule of Man, and Zero Tolerance for Corruption.”

The GGG said the proposed one-term administration should also provide a bridge for generational change by deliberately mentoring younger, educated, disciplined and capable Nigerians in the country and the diaspora to assume greater leadership responsibilities from 2031.

Common policy platform urged

Beyond the presidential ticket, the organisation called on opposition parties to produce a harmonised policies and deliverables document setting out what a coalition government would seek to accomplish between 2027 and 2031.

It said the document should be adopted by all participating parties and presented to Nigerians before the election, arguing that independent-minded voters would want to know precisely what the opposition intends to do differently from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The GGG also proposed that the major opposition parties agree on consensus candidates for other elective positions, rather than restricting negotiations to the presidency.

The parties identified in its proposal are the ADC, New Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Labour Party (LP), Accord, Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

It suggested that candidates should be selected principally on the basis of electability, including nationwide acceptability for the presidency and statewide support for governorship candidates.

The organisation further proposed a coalition leadership structure involving Atiku Abubakar of the ADC as leader, former Bayelsa State governor Seriake Dickson of the NDC as co-leader and Nenadi Usman of the Labour Party as another co-leader.

Proposed governance team

In an unusual extension of its proposal, the GGG also published a sample governance team for a possible opposition administration.

The organisation said Nigerians should have an indication of the calibre of people who would be expected to assume responsibility if the coalition wins, rather than waiting until after the election to discover who would form the government.

Among those proposed are Peter Obi as President, Rabiu Kwankwaso as Vice President, Rotimi Amaechi as Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Seyi Makinde as Minister of Works, Donald Duke as Minister of Foreign Affairs and Bala Mohammed as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.

Others include Adewole Adebayo as Minister of National Planning and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Mohammed Hayatudeen as Minister of Finance, Sam Ohuabunwa as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed as Special Adviser on Political Matters, Pat Utomi as Special Adviser on Good Governance and Olumide Akpata as Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The proposed independent professionals include Oby Ezekwesili as Chief of Staff to the President, Akinwumi Adesina as Minister of Agriculture, Suleiman Barau as Chief of Staff to the Vice President and other professionals recommended for economic, civil service, communications, maritime and agricultural portfolios.

The GGG stressed that none of the individuals listed had been consulted before the compilation and that the proposed team was strictly its own initiative.

It recommended a maximum of 36 ministers and at least 30 per cent female representation among ministers and advisers.

The organisation said the proposed structure was designed to address what it considers the need for a government that would be ready to commence work almost immediately after inauguration.

The GGG said:

“This 2027 election is different and existential for many Nigerians and they want to know in advance the Governance Team that will be prepared to hit the ground running, maximum 30 days, from the date a new government is sworn in to office.”

GGG urges opposition to act

The organisation said its proposals were intended as independent feedback to guide the G-100 and opposition parties in their deliberations on a unified coalition.

It maintained that the 2027 election presented an opportunity for opposition parties to offer Nigerians not merely an alternative candidate, but a clearly defined programme of government and credible team capable of delivering it.

The GGG urged the G-100 and the opposition parties to consider its recommendations and take concrete steps towards resolving the outstanding issues surrounding the coalition.

It said the responsibility now rests with the opposition actors to determine whether they can translate the growing calls for unity into a viable political alliance ahead of the 2027 elections.