Ibadan Summit: Opposition Commits to Single Presidential Candidate in 2027, Demands INEC Chair’s Removal

A Communiqué, a Commitment, and a Direct Challenge to APC

The Ibadan opposition summit ended with something tangible: a formal communiqué and a public commitment to field a single presidential candidate against the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 general elections. The document, read by PDP factional chairman Taminu Turaki, marked the most explicit declaration of unified opposition intent Nigeria has seen in years.

“We shall work towards fielding one Presidential Candidate for the 2027 elections, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties to rescue our nation and her long suffering masses,” the communiqué stated. Attendees included Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Rauf Aregbesola, and Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde as host.

INEC Chairman Must Go — Opposition Demands

The summit’s communiqué went further than electoral strategy. The opposition formally called for the removal of INEC Chairman Joash Ojo Amupitan, accusing him of bias and partisanship in favour of the APC. “His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering widespread crisis in our nation,” the document warned — language that signals the opposition intends to make the independence of the electoral commission a central campaign issue heading into 2027.

The parties also called on the National Assembly to immediately review the Electoral Act 2026 to remove sections they described as threats to electoral integrity, and demanded that INEC extend its deadline for party primaries to the end of July 2026.

Makinde’s Warning: “Operation Wetie” and One-Party Drift

In his address as host, Governor Makinde drew a striking historical parallel — invoking “Operation Wetie,” the political violence that rocked the South-West in the mid-1960s — as a caution against allowing one-party dominance to go unchecked. “Across Nigeria today, we are witnessing a level of political concentration that… [threatens] multi-party democracy,” he said.

The summit also demanded the release of politicians being detained on “bailable offences,” a reference widely understood to include figures like El-Rufai currently in ICPC custody. Whether Saturday’s show of unity translates into a workable single candidacy process will define whether this moment is a turning point or another false start for Nigerian opposition politics.

Sources: Vanguard, The Will, Prime Business Africa