A major effort to unite Nigeria’s opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election experienced a setback on Monday, August 31, 2026, as prominent political figures, including the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, and his Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) counterpart, Peter Obi, were conspicuously absent from high-stakes negotiations in the nation’s capital.
​The day-long summit, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, was convened by the political group G100 in collaboration with the House of Representatives Minority Caucus.
The gathering brought together delegates from several key opposition parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), to forge a common front aimed at unseating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 polls.
​Despite the absence of top-tier leaders like Atiku, Obi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, the participating parties moved forward with structured negotiations.
​The summit concluded with a unanimous agreement to establish a formal framework for opposition cooperation, establishing three primary administrative organs and five specialized working groups:- A Coalition Administrative Organs, Central Leadership Committee, to act as the main political decision-making and arbitrating body.
A Publicity and Communication Committee, To manage joint public messaging and strategic outreach and a Legal Committee, assigned to draft constitutional and regulatory agreements to govern the alliance.
The participating parties constituted five committees tasked with submitting policy documents within 30 days. The resulting frameworks, including the National Covenant for Democratic Renewal, the Single-Term Transition Charter, and the Roadmap to a Common Presidential Candidate will be reviewed during a second summit expected later this year.
​Speaking to reporters following the session, the Director-General of the G100, Salihu Mohd Lukman, emphasized the urgency of the initiative, warning that continued fragmentation among opposition ranks would only favor the ruling party.
​”Continued division among opposition parties will directly work in favor of the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027,” Lukman stated. “Our goal is to build a Government of National Competence anchored on integrity, national inclusion, and a time-bound Four-Year National Reset Programme.”
​Echoing the necessity of unity, the National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, noted that no individual opposition party could successfully challenge the APC independently. He described the Abuja talks as a “genuine sign of hope for Nigerians seeking political alternative.”
​Similarly, the ADC National Vice-Chairman (South-South), Usani Uguru Usani, who led his party’s delegation to the summit, expressed optimism regarding the feasibility of the alliance:
​”This project is possible, and it is a case of now or never,” Usani told newsmen. “The opposition has a real opportunity to work together to present a unified platform capable of defeating the APC.”
​Speaking on behalf of lawmakers in attendance, Rep. Victor Ogene, representing the House Minority Caucus, affirmed that the participating opposition factions had resolved to set aside narrow partisan interests to tackle national issues such as economic hardship, insecurity, and unemployment.
​The coalition talks were further complicated by internal friction within the African Democratic Congress. Parallel to the Abuja summit, a faction of the ADC led by Nafiu Bala Gombe issued a formal statement disowning Atiku Abubakar’s presidential candidacy and rejecting any proposed alliance.
​Gombe warned that the party was not participating in any merger or coalition and directed Atiku to cease using the party’s platform for joint opposition talks.
However, mainstream ADC delegates attending the Yar’Adua Centre meeting maintained that official party channels remain open to negotiating a broad-based platform ahead of 2027.
​The working groups are scheduled to present their draft agreements at the next national summit, where leaders will decide whether to proceed with a consensus flagbearer.
