Ibadan Opposition Summit: Key Resolutions Emerge

Opposition political parties have resolved to work toward presenting a single presidential candidate for the 2027 election, one of the major decisions reached at a national summit held Saturday in Ibadan, Oyo State.

The resolutions were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, tagged the *Ibadan Declaration*, where participating parties outlined a joint political strategy and raised concerns over the state of Nigeria’s democracy.

A key outcome of the summit was the decision by opposition parties to pursue a consensus presidential candidate for 2027.

“We shall work towards fielding one presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties,” the communiqué stated.

The parties also vowed to resist what they described as attempts to impose a one-party state.

“We 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,” the communiqué read.

The opposition leaders also insisted they would participate fully in the 2027 elections despite what they described as pressure from the ruling party.

“Despite the onslaughts and manoeuvrings of the ruling party… we shall field candidates and contest the 2027 presidential and other elections,” they said.

The summit also raised concerns over the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), calling for the removal of its chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, from conducting the 2027 elections.

The parties alleged that the INEC chairman had shown bias in favour of the ruling APC and said “Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him” to deliver credible polls.

On electoral reforms, the summit asked the National Assembly to urgently review the Electoral Act 2026, saying some provisions threaten the integrity of the electoral process.

The opposition parties also rejected recent INEC guidelines, describing them as obstacles targeted at opposition parties, and demanded an extension of the deadline for party primaries until the end of July 2026.

“We therefore demand that INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July, 2026,” the communiqué added.

The summit further called for the release of politicians allegedly detained or harassed over bailable offences, saying political participation must remain open and inclusive.

The communiqué also commended Nigerians for their “resilience and readiness” to work with opposition parties, while appreciating Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and the people of the state for hosting the summit.

The communiqué was signed by chairmen of participating opposition parties.