Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Fresh indications of a possible realignment within Nigeria’s opposition political landscape emerged yesterday as the presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, received his Social Democratic Party (SDP) counterpart, Prince Adewole Adebayo, amid consultations among leading pro-democracy figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The meeting, held in Abuja, is the latest in a series of strategic engagements involving presidential candidates and political leaders with long records in Nigeria’s pro-democracy struggle and a shared commitment to centre-left political ideals.
THISDAY gathered that the realignment and consultations are exploring avenues for democratic cooperation, institutional reforms and a coordinated response to what participants described as the growing constraints on Nigeria’s democratic space.
The latest engagement comes as discussions between Dr. Olawepo-Hashim and the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, have also intensified, fuelling speculations that a broader pro-democracy platform may be taking shape ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to sources, the talks are driven by concerns over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, the future of opposition politics and the need to build a credible national alternative, capable of defending constitutional governance, electoral integrity and democratic freedoms.
Although details of the consultations remain closely guarded, insiders said the conversations have gone beyond routine political meetings and are increasingly focused on long-term cooperation among political leaders who share similar democratic values and reform agendas.
The consultations come months after Olawepo-Hashim, alongside leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), launched the Movement for Democratic Renewal (MDR), a national platform established to promote democratic renewal, strengthen institutions and mobilise citizens around governance reforms.
Promoters of the movement argue that Nigeria’s democratic institutions have suffered serious setbacks arising from persistent internal crises within political parties and declining public confidence in electoral and governance institutions, making broad based democratic reforms an urgent national priority.
Olawepo-Hashim Co-Chairs MDR with NLC President, Comrade Ajero, one of the last standing trade Unionists with clear ideological clarity in the Trade Union Movement.
While none of the political leaders has publicly disclosed the full scope of the ongoing consultations, sources confirmed that engagements with other opposition presidential candidates, civil society leaders and pro-democracy stakeholders are expected to continue in the coming weeks.