2027: Opposition May Unveil Consensus Candidate Days to Election — Lukman

Opposition parties seeking to unite ahead of the 2027 general election may announce a consensus presidential candidate only days before the polls, former All Progressives Congress (APC) National Vice-Chairman, Salihu Lukman, has said.

Lukman, convener of the G-100 political pressure group and former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, made the disclosure during an interview on Channels Television’s Hard Copy programme on Saturday.

He said opposition leaders were committed to negotiations aimed at preventing a division of votes among rival candidates, expressing confidence that the parties would eventually agree on a common candidate.

According to him, the announcement could come months, weeks or just days before the election, depending on the progress of consultations.

Lukman said the discussions had moved beyond the original group of six opposition parties, with efforts underway to bring additional parties into the proposed alliance.

The parties involved in the consultations include the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

He identified a lack of trust among party leaders and presidential candidates as the biggest obstacle to achieving a common front.

Lukman said a summit held on August 31 agreed to establish five working groups, including one tasked with developing options for selecting a consensus presidential candidate.

He added that the parties were also working towards a minimum programme of action that candidates would commit to implementing if elected, rather than attempting to merge their individual party manifestos.

The proposal comes amid continuing discussions over how opposition parties could coordinate their political strategies ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, the nature of the proposed arrangement remains contested. The ADC has said its participation in the talks is focused on electoral cooperation and protecting votes, rather than necessarily producing a single presidential candidate.

No consensus candidate has been announced, and the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain.

Lukman urged opposition leaders and their supporters to prioritise the country’s interests over individual political ambitions, warning that failure to reach an agreement could undermine their efforts to present a united front.