By Osundiji Sekinat
The Politics Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, Clifford Ndujihe, has said opposition parties seeking to form a coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, may struggle to unite behind a single presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ndujihe stated this on Channels Television on Tuesday morning while analysing the opposition’s ongoing coalition efforts and the prospects of a united challenge to the APC.
According to him, although the opposition parties could still come together, the different ambitions of their leaders may make it difficult to reach an agreement on a single candidate.
Asked if the opposition still have time to come together, Ndujihe said, “that might be pretty difficult,” noting that the situation could still change as political negotiations progress because “a day is quite long” in politics.
He, however, said that based on the current situation, it would be difficult for the opposition leaders to put aside their individual ambitions and back one candidate.
Ndujihe also pointed to the possibility of the opposition parties retaining their individual identities while agreeing to support one candidate at the presidential election.
He cited the 1999 AD/APP alliance, which produced Chief Olu Falae as a joint presidential candidate against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Olusegun Obasanjo, as an example of an opposition alliance in Nigeria’s political history.
However, he said replicating such an arrangement in 2027 would be more complicated, given the number of parties and presidential candidates involved in the current coalition discussions.
“The best they can do, the way I look at it, is to say we are going to support this candidate and then urge their supporters, urge their members to vote for that candidate,” he said.
The Vanguard editor further highlighted a proposal by the opposition for a four-year single presidential term as part of efforts to attract support for the coalition.
He explained that the proposal was designed as a transitional arrangement under which an elected president would serve for four years before another election, with the coalition seeking to use the period to reform and redirect the country.
Ndujihe said the proposal appeared to draw from previous commitments by some opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, who have indicated willingness to serve a single term if elected.
However, he identified the willingness of the major presidential contenders to abandon their individual ambitions and persuade their supporters to back whoever emerges as the coalition candidate as one of the critical issues that could determine the success of the alliance.
“Are they ready to forgo their ambition to drive this process, to make it work?” he asked, stressing that the willingness of the leading contenders to support whoever emerges would be critical to the coalition’s success.
He added that the opposition had limited time to resolve its differences and begin mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections, making an early decision crucial to the coalition’s chances.
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