Six parties to begin talks on cooperation, shared principles and possible joint strategy
By Ify Okoli
Opposition parties are set to meet on August 31, 2026, in a
move aimed at building a common front against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead
of the 2027 general election.
The date was announced on Thursday by Salihu Lukman, a
leading opposition figure, who spoke on behalf of the G100 group coordinating
the discussions.
Rather than immediately deciding who should lead a possible
opposition ticket, the meeting will focus on the terms and principles that
could bring the parties together.
Lukman said the planned summit followed weeks of
consultations with the leadership of six parties: the African Democratic
Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), National Democratic Congress
(NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and
Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The discussions, he said, produced a joint document titled A
Framework for Opposition Cooperation and Coordination. The document sets
out areas where the parties agree while acknowledging that each retains its own
history, identity and political interests.
The proposed alliance comes as opposition parties face the
challenge of finding common ground ahead of a crucial presidential election.
Lukman stressed that working together would not mean
abandoning individual political identities. He said the immediate task was to
establish what the parties could jointly offer Nigerians before arguments over
leadership of any future ticket.
“Cooperation does not require any party to disappear into
another,” he said, adding that the central question was what the parties were
collectively prepared to do for the country.
The August 31 meeting is expected to provide the next test
of whether those shared interests can translate into a workable opposition
alliance.
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