The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has formally endorsed the G-100 coalition-building process aimed at uniting opposition parties to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Politics Nigeria reports that the party said its decision was driven by the need to forge a broad opposition front capable of offering Nigerians an alternative to the President Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The endorsement was contained in a statement issued by the PDP National Publicity Secretary of its Interim National Working Committee, Comrade Ini Ememobong.
According to the party, the decision followed what it described as the hardship, insecurity and rising poverty confronting Nigerians under the APC-led Federal Government.
The PDP said it was prepared to work with other political parties and organisations committed to rescuing the country from its current challenges.
On his part, the party’s ‘Interim National Chairman’, Turaki, said the PDP’s participation in the G-100 process would be guided by transparency, equality, data-driven decision-making and egalitarian principles.
“Our participation is anchored on the promise that the process will be hinged on the philosophical underpinnings of transparency, equality, data-driven decisions and egalitarianism,” Turaki said.
He added that a candidate produced through such a process would have the credibility to provide leadership capable of addressing Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges.
The PDP’s endorsement came a day after representatives of six opposition parties converged on Abuja for the inaugural G-100 summit, which focused on developing a framework for cooperation and coordination ahead of the 2027 elections.
It would be recalled that the meeting, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre under the theme, “A Framework for Opposition Cooperation and Coordination,” brought together representatives of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), PDP, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Convener of the summit, Salihu Lukman, stressed that the initiative was not designed to immediately select a presidential candidate, dissolve political parties or compel aspirants to withdraw from the race.
Rather, he said the objective was to create an agreed mechanism through which opposition parties could negotiate their interests and eventually produce a common platform and presidential candidate.
Lukman argued that opposition parties lost the 2023 presidential election largely because their votes were divided among several candidates.
He said the parties collectively secured about 13 million votes in 2023, while the eventual winner polled less than nine million, but failed to translate their combined strength into victory because they contested separately.
“Nobody stole thirteen million votes. We divided them ourselves, in public, and we did it knowing exactly what the consequence would be,” Lukman said.
He cited the opposition alliance that preceded the 2015 elections as an example of how political parties could overcome individual ambitions by first agreeing on rules for cooperation before negotiating position
“What they had was not affection. What they had was sequence. They agreed on the rules before they knew the outcome,” he said.
The G-100 has proposed three permanent coalition structures comprising a Central Leadership Committee, Publicity and Communication Committee, and Legal Committee.
It also plans to establish five working groups tasked with developing proposals on democratic renewal, a four-year transition, a national reform programme, opposition unity and a roadmap for producing a common presidential candidate.
The working groups are expected to submit their reports within four weeks ahead of a second summit where the proposals will be considered.
According to Lukman, the proposed alliance would seek to establish a “Government of National Competence” and implement a four-year National Reset Programme backed by an enforceable Transition Charter.
He, however, warned that the success of the initiative would depend on the willingness of opposition leaders to make sacrifices and accept outcomes that might not align with their individual political ambitions.
