Opposition party members yesterday raised five specialised working committees to produce preliminary framework documents on how to actualise their desire for a consensus candidate for next year’s presidential election.

The committees – the National Covenant for Democratic Renewal; Single-Term Transition Charter; National Reform Programme; Framework for Opposition Unity and Roadmap to a Common Presidential Candidate–are to present their reports within 30 days.

The presentation, according to a communiqué issued after the Abuja meeting, will pave the way for their second consultative gathering. The date for that was not made known by the House of Representatives Minority Caucus, Afam Ogene, who read the statement.

The Abuja meeting was convened by a civil society pressure group, G-100, in conjunction with the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives to also arrive at an agreement on a four-year transition government.

Major presidential figures like Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) were not in attendance. Their running mates, Rotimi Amaechi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, were also absent. They had hinted of their unwillingness to attend the summit.

But Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo and his running mate Usman Bugaje; Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) flagbearer Donald Duke; Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) candidate Moses Olusola, and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) vice-presidential candidate Lawal Daura, were in attendance.

Detailing the resolutions, Ogene said the participants also committed to a structured negotiation process ahead of the 2027 elections. According to him, they agreed to transcend narrow political interests to address pressing national challenges.

He said: “We agreed, as national chairmen and principal leaders of our respective parties, to commit to a structured process of negotiation on the framework for opposition cooperation ahead of the 2027 general election.

“This commitment reflects our shared recognition that the challenges confronting our nation—insecurity, the rising cost of living, and the scarcity of jobs—demand a level of political cooperation that transcends the narrow interests of any single party.”

To manage the negotiation machinery, the communiqué announced the creation of three standing coalition organs–a central leadership committee to serve as the political arbiter; a publicity and communication committee for joint messaging; and a legal committee to draft all constitutional and legal instruments.

Director-General of G-100 and former Director-General of Progressives Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, had in his opening address warned that continued opposition fragmentation would hand the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) an easy victory next year.

Lukman advised parties to agree on procedural rules rather than fighting over individual candidacies.

“It is unfortunate that the opposition has repeatedly contested presidential elections in pieces, allowing the ruling party to benefit from the division of opposition votes,” he said.

House Minority Leader, Frederick Agbedi, urged political leaders to place the economic hardship facing citizens ahead of individual ambitions.

“Nigeria is in pain. Nigeria is suffering. If we are united, what the APC did in 2015, we can repeat it. For us, there is no issue of a preferred candidate,” Agbedi said.

ADC National Vice-Chairman (South-South) Usani U. Usani, who led the party’s team to the talk, advised members of the coalition to work hard for the defeat of the APC in 2027.

“This project (APC’s defeat) is possible, and it is a case of now or never,” Usani said.

National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) Hakeem Baba-Ahmed warned that ‘no party alone can defeat the APC’.

"This coalition represents a genuine sign of hope for Nigerians,” Baba-Ahmed said, urging opposition members to work for the success of the initiative.

Former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu pointed out that “personal and pecuniary interests have taken precedence over national interest for too long.

He said that “it is our responsibility to follow this process through.”

Aliyu advised the G-100 leadership to cascade the summit to state and local government levels to enable opposition party members at the grassroots to catch up with the initiative.

In his goodwill message, SDP National Chairman Sadiq Gombe said: “The political situation requires an urgent national rescue effort. In 2023, opposition candidates collectively secured over two-thirds of the total votes cast.” (The Nation)