The Peoples Democratic Party faction led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has thrown its support behind the G-100 initiative, a platform seeking to unite opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The faction announced its position on Tuesday through its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, after representatives of opposition parties met in Abuja on Monday.
The meeting, held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, focused on ways opposition parties could work together, including the possibility of fielding a single candidate against the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 election.
The Turaki-led group said its decision to join the process was influenced by what it described as the difficult conditions facing Nigerians under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a responsible opposition party, has endorsed the G-100 (a group of 100 opposition stalwarts) driven process of creating an all-opposition front to challenge the incumbent APC candidate in the 2027 general elections.”
The faction said it believed opposition parties needed to combine their strength in response to the challenges confronting the country.
“The wailings of Nigerians groaning under the repressive Bola Tinubu APC-led Federal Government, and the compelling need to join forces with other credible political forces in search of the country’s redemption.”
Turaki said the faction’s involvement in the initiative would depend on the process remaining open, transparent and based on objective decision-making.
“Our participation is anchored on the promise that the process will be hinged on the philosophical underpinnings of transparency, equality, data-driven decisions and egalitarianism. Any result birthed by a process midwifed by these virtues will certainly offer Nigerians a credible leadership capable of alleviating the skyrocketing poverty and rising insecurity in the country,” Turaki said.
The PDP faction said its latest move was consistent with its earlier position that opposition parties and other political organisations should collaborate to challenge the APC.
“This new move aligns with our earlier stated disposition of working with like-minded political parties and organisations desirous of salvaging the country from the many vices orchestrated by the ruling APC.”
It further described its participation in the Abuja meeting as evidence of its readiness to contribute to the formation of a broad opposition platform capable of taking over power in 2027.
The G-100 gathering brought together representatives of six opposition parties, who agreed to begin more organised discussions on cooperation ahead of the election.
The proposed discussions will cover the structure of an opposition alliance, a national programme for reforms and the process for selecting a possible consensus presidential candidate.
The push for a united opposition comes after the 2023 presidential election, during which major opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, contested separately, resulting in the opposition vote being divided.
Neither Atiku nor Obi attended Monday’s meeting.
However, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, played down Atiku’s absence, explaining that the gathering was primarily designed to discuss cooperation among political parties rather than the participation of individual presidential contenders.