*LP opts out
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
Some of the opposition parties with the exception of the Labour Party, have reportedly confirmed their attendance at the proposed G100 summit expected to hold today at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has clarified that the goal of the summit was not to anoint a single presidential candidate, but to build a framework for cooperation that could make opposition parties stronger ahead of 2027.
The National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, explained that the thrust of the gathering was to build a bridge of unity among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
Asked if opposition parties would come together to present a common front, Abdullahi said that was not the immediate objective.
“The way I understand it, that is not the objective of the summit. It’s to prepare terms for cooperation not necessarily single candidate.
“I don’t want anyone to run away with the impression that the reason is to look for a single presidential candidate. If that doesn’t work, then they say opposition collapses again.”
On expectations at the meeting, Abdullahi said the ADC was looking forward to exploring areas of collaboration.
“We are looking forward to exploring opportunities for cooperation. Like I said, there are many areas that opposition parties can collaborate and work together. So, we will see how far we can go. Opposition working together makes all of us strong,” he stated.
The summit, themed: “A Framework for Opposition Cooperation and Coordination”, G100 convener, Salihu Mohammed Lukman, said the meeting was not meant to decide presidential candidacy in one sitting, but to establish a formal architecture for transparent and collective negotiations.
“The first question before party leaders is not who leads the ticket. It is what we are, together, prepared to do for this country,” the statement said.
Expected at the gathering are National Working Committee members of the ADC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Also were G100 signatories and members of the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives.
The G100 said it was convening the summit as a facilitator and observer, not as a substitute for the constitutional authority of the parties.
“The decisions arising from this process will remain the responsibility of the parties themselves,” Lukman maintained.
The Labour Party (LP), however, said it would not be involved in the summit, declaring that it was already a coalition in itself and has a well-established structure across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Ken Asogwa, said the party’s decision not to participate in the G-100 Summit was not because it was opposed to the idea of political parties forming a coalition to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but more of the fact that the LP had a better structure and coordination.
Meanwhile, the Tanimu Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the summit would be an open platform to canvass and articulate opposition strategies to wrestle power from the APC in 2027.
According to the National Publicity Secretary of the INWC, Ini Ememobong, discussions would be wide-ranging, including the possibility of settling for a united opposition candidate to confront the APC’s President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
‘The summit will provide a framework for opposition cooperation and coordination. The single candidacy is a destination and the meeting will provide a direction to the destination,” Ememobong disclosed.