The G100 coalition has concluded the first phase of consultations with major opposition figures and political parties as part of efforts to build a united political front ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The coalition said it held what it described as frank, constructive and encouraging discussions with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi, former Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde.
It also engaged leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Salihu Lukman, disclosed this while speaking on Arise Television.
Lukman said the consultations were designed to encourage opposition leaders to build relationships that could eventually produce a common platform capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.
According to him, the discussions demonstrated that the opposition leaders understood the need to place national interest above personal political ambitions.
“The bottom line is that I think everybody acknowledges that the country deserves better and that we need leaders to put the country first before anything else,” he said.
Lukman explained that the G100 was not attempting to impose a political arrangement on the opposition but was facilitating discussions aimed at developing a workable framework for cooperation.
He said the coalition had encouraged the various political actors to establish structures for sustained engagement, noting that trust and stronger relationships would be crucial to achieving the sacrifices necessary for opposition unity.
“The strength of the relationship will determine how much sacrifice they can make for each other or how much trust they can invest in one another,” he said.
Lukman disclosed that representatives nominated by the political parties were already working with the G100 to fine-tune arrangements for a broader meeting where concrete proposals would be discussed.
He, however, acknowledged that the presidential ambitions of leading opposition figures remained one of the major obstacles to achieving a consensus.
“Each one of them wants to be President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, but only one of them can be president,” he said.
He warned that allowing opposition candidates to contest against one another could weaken their collective chances, as happened during the 2023 elections.
“If we encourage them to continue to contest against each other, it will strengthen the main opponent,” Lukman said, identifying the APC and President Bola Tinubu as the principal political opponents.
Beyond producing a consensus candidate, he said the G100 was also demanding a clear policy agenda from the opposition.
Lukman said Nigerians needed to understand what an alternative government would do differently, stressing that the objective should go beyond merely replacing those currently in power.
“It is not about changing faces in government; it is also about coming up to say, at the end of the day, Nigeria is faced with these problems and this is how we intend to tackle them,” he said.
He said the coalition was operating within a tight timeline and had set another target of bringing the opposition actors together for further consultations.
Despite acknowledging the difficulty of the process, Lukman expressed optimism that the initiative would produce a stronger and more credible opposition platform.
“Nigeria has to come first before anybody’s ambition or interest,” he said.
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