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Salihu Lukman, convener of the G100 political pressure group, has said opposition parties working with the group will choose one presidential candidate to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.
Lukman said the announcement could come months, weeks or even a few days before the election.
He spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s programme, Hard Copy, where he expressed confidence that opposition leaders were committed to the plan.
“I can tell you categorically, and my confidence about that comes from what I see in the leadership of the parties: they are committed and they are working, taking all the steps necessary,” he said.
He added that the parties would eventually inform Nigerians of their decision and urge their supporters to unite behind the chosen candidate.
According to Lukman, the plan involves more than the six opposition parties currently working together, as efforts are ongoing to bring additional parties into the alliance.
The G100 was formed after an opposition summit in Ibadan in April 2026 called for a united front and a consensus presidential candidate to challenge the APC.
Lukman explained that the political parties and their candidates had taken over the process from the group to build trust and agree on how to work together.
He identified a lack of trust among the parties and their candidates as the biggest challenge facing the plan.
He said a meeting held on August 31 agreed to establish five working groups, including one responsible for selecting a single presidential candidate.
Lukman explained that each party would nominate representatives to participate in the process, ensuring that decisions were made by the parties and their candidates rather than outsiders.
On the positions of supporters of Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and the Kwankwasiyya movement, Lukman warned that refusing to compromise could benefit the ruling party.
He argued that the country should be placed above individual political ambitions.
Lukman also referred to comments by John Cardinal Onaiyekan, who warned that opposition candidates could not divide their votes among several contenders and still expect to defeat the ruling party.
“The arithmetic is simple: you can’t split votes five ways and expect victory in one of you,” he said.
On differences in the parties’ manifestos, Lukman said the group was not seeking to merge their policy documents. Instead, it wants them to agree on a minimum programme of action that any opposition candidate who wins the 2027 election would prioritise.
He said candidates would agree to the programme before a consensus candidate emerged, preventing disagreements over policies after the election.
Lukman said the eventual candidate could emerge under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), another political party or a new party formed through an alliance.
He stressed that he had no intention of contesting an election or seeking an appointive position.
He also warned opposition politicians against holding on to their individual ambitions at the expense of the larger goal.
Lukman further explained that he had resumed membership of the ADC after temporarily withdrawing because of internal disagreements in Kaduna State.
He said his decision to leave was driven by concerns that the party was heading towards the same problems associated with the older political partiesm
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