Opposition must unite to defeat Tinubu in 2027 — Baba-Ahmed

The National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has urged opposition parties to put aside their differences and form a united front against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Baba-Ahmed made the call on Monday at an opposition parties’ summit organised by G100 in Abuja, where representatives of six political parties discussed possible cooperation ahead of the elections.

He said no opposition party could realistically defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress on its own, warning that continued fragmentation could weaken the parties and undermine their chances in 2027.

“But the certainty of this happening will be reinforced by the way we work,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He added that the opposition parties were facing similar challenges, including legal battles and what he described as attempts to weaken their structures.

“No party will be honest enough to tell you alone they can defeat the All Progressives Congress. There is no party among the six that is here that is not facing an existential threat to its existence. None,” he said.

According to Baba-Ahmed, the opposition must therefore work collectively to secure political change in 2027.

“Our back is against the wall, but we will fight back. In 2027, we will together remove this government and put the Nigerian nation in a different trajectory,” he said.

He described the emerging cooperation among the parties as a source of hope, insisting that the plan to unseat the Tinubu administration was a serious political project rather than an empty declaration.

“This is not a joke. We are serious about putting a new government in place in 2027,” he said.

The summit was attended by representatives of the African Democratic Congress, Allied Peoples Movement, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Peoples Redemption Party and Social Democratic Party.

G100 said in a document presented at the meeting that it had conducted consultations with the leadership of the six parties in recent weeks.

The consultations, according to the organisation, involved national chairmen, presidential candidates and other senior political figures and were intended to facilitate negotiations on possible cooperation among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 elections.

Baba-Ahmed said the gathering demonstrated that opposition parties were beginning to recognise the need for collective action, describing the coalition effort as “a sign of hope” and “a light being beamed.”

The discussions are expected to continue as the parties explore possible areas of cooperation and a broader strategy for the 2027 elections.