The Political Commission set up by the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) and led by Pat Utomi is set to hold closed-door meetings with presidential candidates and leaders of shortlisted opposition parties as part of efforts to produce a single candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
The commission said on Wednesday that it would meet candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Accord Party, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), African Action Congress (AAC) and Young Progressive Party (YPP).
It said the engagements would precede a tactical session scheduled to hold in Ibadan in a fortnight, where it would announce the modalities for selecting the presidential candidate of the proposed opposition coalition.
The development marks a new phase in the opposition’s efforts to overcome political fragmentation and present a common presidential candidate against the ruling party in 2027.
MCE said the closed-door meetings were intended to shield the negotiations from what it described as political mercenaries and jobbers opposed to the coalition initiative.
‘The rationale for the close doors engagements, the Commission said is to prevent sabotage from political mercenaries and jobbers opposed to the initiative and determined to frustrate the negotiations and horse trading amongst the seven shortlisted Presidential Candidates,’ the statement said.
The commission said Nigeria could not afford another opposition arrangement in which political actors agreed on the need for unity but disagreed when it became necessary to determine the candidate to lead the alliance.
No imposition, says commission
MCE said the credibility of the coalition would depend less on the individual popularity of aspirants than on the process through which its candidate was selected.
It promised a transparent process, due process and a level playing field in negotiations, stressing that the terms and modalities for selecting the candidate would have to be agreed by all participating parties.
‘MCE said the success of the emerging coalition process of the Nigerian opposition would depend less on the popularity of individual aspirants but more on the credibility, transparency and fairness, due process and level playing field through which the coalition Presidential candidate is chosen,’ it said.
The group said no party or aspirant would be presented with an imposed arrangement, adding that all shortlisted parties would have to agree to clear rules of engagement before a candidate was endorsed.
It also said personal ambitions must not derail efforts to provide Nigerians with an alternative political platform.
‘MCE said its role in the emerging process was not to impose a presidential candidate on any political party or aspirant but to facilitate a credible process through which the opposition could arrive at a broadly acceptable political arrangement,’ the statement said.
According to the commission, its evaluation of the aspirants will consider national acceptability, competence, integrity, leadership profile, political electability and policy orientation.
It will also examine candidates’ commitment to democratic institutions, capacity to unite the country, ability to work with diverse social interests and understanding of Nigeria’s political and democratic challenges, including what the group described as the ‘national constitutional question.’
The coalition will also be required to develop a common national programme before asking Nigerians to support its candidate.
‘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,’ MCE said.
The proposed agenda will address insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, poverty, institutional decay, electoral integrity, constitutional reform, education, healthcare, energy and the cost of governance.
Candidates must commit to coalition outcome
MCE said the proposed arrangement was intended to produce not only a consensus presidential candidate but also a common democratic and governance agenda.
It acknowledged that political bargaining would be unavoidable in building a coalition, arguing that participating politicians must be willing to make compromises.
‘Those who genuinely seek to present a democratic alternative to Nigerians must be prepared to make personal sacrifices, accommodate others and recognise that no single individual or political party can on their own compete formidably against the party in power,’ it said.
The commission, however, said participation in the process would require a commitment from every candidate and party to accept its outcome.
It said all participating presidential candidates and their parties would have to commit in advance to support the coalition’s adopted candidate ‘without equivocation’ in the 2027 elections.
Members of the Political Commission expected to participate in the engagements include Maryam Inna Ciroma, Modupe Adelaja, Solomon Dalung, Uche Onyeagocha, Olusegun Mayegun, Sam Amadi, Mike Iginni, Barbara Etim James, Olawale Okunniyi and Adum Ter Alex, among others.
MCE said the announcement followed what it described as a critical phase in its consultations with opposition parties and candidates.
The organisation stressed that its objective was to facilitate an organised opposition capable of offering Nigerians a sustainable democratic alternative rather than simply bringing politicians together for the purpose of winning an election.