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Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, is to lead the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) in consultations with opposition presidential candidates and their parties as part of efforts to facilitate a single candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
According to the MCE, the closed-door meetings with shortlisted candidates and party leaders are expected to be completed within two weeks ahead of a tactical session scheduled to hold in Ibadan.
The development was contained in a statement issued by the MCE Media Coordinator, James Ezema, who said the consultations were designed to help opposition parties avoid disagreements that had frustrated previous attempts to establish a common electoral platform.
Among those listed for engagement are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Seyi Makinde of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Donald Duke of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).
The MCE said the meetings would be held privately to limit interference during negotiations and provide the candidates and their parties an opportunity to discuss the proposed arrangement.
It said the process would be guided by credibility, transparency, fairness, due process and a level playing field, with the participating candidates and parties expected to agree on the modalities and terms of any eventual endorsement.
The movement listed national acceptability, competence, integrity, leadership profile, political experience, policy orientation, commitment to democratic institutions, capacity to unite diverse interests and understanding of Nigeria’s constitutional and democratic challenges among the factors to be considered.
It said the initiative was not intended to impose a candidate on any party or aspirant but to facilitate negotiations through which the participating opposition groups could reach an acceptable arrangement.
According to the MCE, the proposed coalition would be based not only on personalities but also on a common national programme addressing insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, poverty, institutional weaknesses, electoral integrity, constitutional reform, education, healthcare, energy and the cost of governance.
“The Nigerian people deserve more than a coalition of political personalities. They deserve a coalition of ideas, competence, values and a coherent ideological programme for national salvation,” the statement said.
The movement said any eventual consensus candidate would be expected to operate within a jointly developed democratic and governance agenda that Nigerians could examine before the election.
It added that political negotiations would require participating aspirants and parties to make compromises, accommodate divergent interests and commit themselves to the outcome of the process.
The MCE initiative is one of several efforts aimed at encouraging cooperation among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.
In August, the G100 group of concerned Nigerians also urged opposition leaders to negotiate an arrangement built around a single presidential candidate, a common programme and a coordinated electoral strategy.
The group subsequently consulted with several opposition parties, including the ADC, APM, NDC, PDP, PRP and SDP, according to the statement.
Utomi is expected to be joined in the MCE consultations by Maryam Ciroma, Modupe Adelaja, Solomon Dalung, Uche Onyeagocha, Olusegun Mayegun, Sam Amadi, Mike Iginni, Obongawan Barbara Etim James, Olawale Okunniyi and Dr Adum Ter Alex, among others.
The MCE urged the participating candidates and parties to approach the negotiations with an open mind and place the country’s democratic interests ahead of individual ambitions.
It said participants would also be required to commit to respecting the outcome of the process and supporting whichever candidate emerges from the proposed consensus arrangement.
