2027: Onaiyekan urges opposition parties to unite, present credible alternative

Catholic cleric, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has urged opposition political parties in Nigeria to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections to strengthen democracy and provide Nigerians with credible alternatives to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Mr Onaiyekan gave the charge on Thursday when leaders of opposition political parties under the G100 Coalition visited him at his residence.

The delegation, comprising national chairmen and national secretaries of some political parties, briefed the cleric on efforts to build a united opposition platform capable of challenging the APC in the 2027 elections.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by Salihu Moh. Lukman on behalf of the coalition parties, the group said the meeting focused on its progress towards bringing opposition parties together and developing a common political agenda.

The statement said Mr Onaiyekan expressed support for the initiative, describing a strong opposition as essential to sustaining Nigeria’s democratic traditions.

According to the coalition, the cardinal welcomed indications that Nigerians would have credible political choices in the next general elections, allowing them to determine the country’s future.

He also emphasised the importance of competent, honest and compassionate leadership in addressing the country’s numerous challenges and improving the living conditions of citizens.

The coalition said it briefed the cleric on its efforts to attract more political parties into the alliance and establish mechanisms to address potential disagreements among its members.

It also disclosed that it had completed work on three major policy documents intended to provide the ideological, organisational and governance framework for the proposed opposition alliance.

The documents include the National Covenant for Democratic Renewal, which outlines the coalition’s guiding principles; the Framework for Opposition Unity, which defines how participating parties would work together; and the National Reform Programme, which sets out the policy direction of a government emerging from the alliance.

According to the statement, coalition leaders are working towards the final adoption of the documents ahead of a second summit scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2026.