Opposition political parties in Nigeria have resolved to work together to resist what they described as the All Progressives Congress, APC’s plan to impose a one-party state, and to field a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections.
The resolution was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Opposition Political Parties National Summit held on Saturday, April 25, 2026 in Ibadan, Oyo State. The parties said the meeting was convened to address the “collective threats” and “existential challenges” facing the country under what they termed the “oppressive and anti-democratic” APC government.
In the communiqué signed by Chairmen of the participating opposition parties, the parties declared that they “shall resist all machinations by the APC to foist a one-party State on Nigeria and fight for the survival of multi-party democracy in our country.” They stressed that the destiny of over 200 million Nigerians is at stake.
Despite alleged moves by the ruling APC to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole presidential candidate in 2027, the opposition parties affirmed that they will field candidates and contest the presidential and other elections. However, they resolved “to 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 summit also passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan. The parties accused him of bias and partisanship in favor of the APC, and demanded that he should not conduct the 2027 elections.
“Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible elections. His continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering wide spread crisis in our nation,” the communiqué stated.
The opposition further called on the National Assembly to immediately review the Electoral Act, 2026, to remove sections that they said threaten the sanctity and integrity of elections and run counter to constitutional provisions. They also rejected recent INEC guidelines, describing them as “obstacles deliberately engineered to impose conditions and deadlines on opposition parties.”
To that effect, the parties demanded that INEC extend the deadline for party primaries until the end of July 2026. They also called for the immediate release of all leading politicians being detained or harassed over bailable offences, insisting they should be allowed to exercise their fundamental rights of participation and inclusivity.
The summit commended Nigerians for what it described as their resilience and readiness to work with opposition parties to “free our nation from State capture.” The parties said public support remains critical to the struggle to rescue democracy.
The opposition leaders thanked Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, and the people of Oyo State for hosting what they called an “epochal event.” They said the Ibadan summit marks the beginning of coordinated action by opposition forces ahead of 2027.
