G-100 Coalition Moves to Pick Consensus Candidate for 2027

The G-100 opposition coalition has set up committees to help pick a single presidential candidate to face President Bola Tinubu in 2027. The move is meant to strengthen talks among parties and aspirants.

National Chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prof. Sadiq Gombe, announced the step on Wednesday in Abuja at the inauguration of the coalition’s Legal and Media Committees.

He said talks among opposition leaders are moving forward and that major progress could come before the end of the year.

The coalition includes the SDP, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Allied Peoples Movement (APM).

Those reportedly being considered include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Cross River State governor Donald Duke and SDP chieftain Adewale Adebayo.

Gombe said party leaders are speaking directly with the hopefuls as the coalition works towards one platform. The aim is to avoid splitting the opposition vote, which helped Tinubu win in 2023.

The Legal Committee, made up of the national legal advisers of the parties, will review the constitution, electoral laws and Supreme Court judgments. Its job is to spot legal risks that could break the alliance.

The Media and Publicity Committee, drawn from national publicity secretaries and campaign spokespersons, will handle public messaging and build a shared voice.

Why the Coalition Is Forming

Gombe said the coalition is driven by concern over economic hardship and insecurity under the Tinubu administration. He said the alliance wants to give Nigerians a common alternative.

He also said opposition leaders must put national interest above personal ambition. That point matters because past unity talks have failed when big names refused to step aside.

The 2023 election saw three main candidates split the vote. Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) won with about 36% of the vote. Atiku of the PDP and Obi of the Labour Party finished second and third.

A single opposition candidate could change that maths. However, agreeing on who that candidate should be is the hard part.

The committees will report back to the coalition leadership. Talks with aspirants will continue in the coming weeks.

Gombe said he expects breakthroughs before the year ends. If that happens, the coalition could name a candidate earlier than the parties did in 2023.

For now, no candidate has been chosen. The coalition says its focus is on building a structure that can hold together once a name is picked.