The G100 opposition alliance is considering a possible run-off strategy for the 2027 presidential election as efforts to persuade former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi to support a single opposition candidate continue.
The development was reported by The PUNCH, which cited sources within the G100 as saying the group is exploring alternative forms of cooperation if its push for a consensus presidential candidate does not succeed.
The G100 had initially advocated for opposition parties to work towards a common presidential candidate ahead of the 2027 election. However, Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Obi, who is contesting under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), have continued with their separate presidential campaigns.
According to the source, neither politician has indicated acceptance of the single-candidate arrangement, although consultations with both remain ongoing. The proposed alternative would involve opposition parties maintaining their separate candidates in the first round and cooperating if the election proceeds to a second round.
However, Atiku’s campaign has sought to clarify reports that he had rejected the single-candidate proposal. Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communications of the Atiku Presidential Campaign Council, said the campaign could not confirm that Atiku had rejected the proposal or agreed to any run-off cooperation.
Shaibu said Atiku remained open to discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation among opposition forces, while his campaign was seeking more information about the G100 proposal and the research or electoral modelling reportedly informing the run-off scenario.
The possibility of a run-off is linked to Nigeria’s constitutional requirements for winning a presidential election. Section 134 of the Constitution provides for a second election where no candidate satisfies the conditions required for victory in the first ballot. INEC’s electoral regulations also contain provisions governing presidential run-off elections.
The G100 held its first opposition summit at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on August 31. Representatives of the ADC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), NDC, a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP) participated.
Atiku, Obi and APM presidential candidate Seyi Makinde were absent from the summit. The meeting was convened to develop a framework for cooperation among opposition parties, including discussions on a possible common presidential candidate.
The latest development indicates that the opposition alliance is considering arrangements beyond a pre-election consensus candidate. However, the reported run-off strategy remains a proposal under discussion, rather than an agreement reached by the opposition parties or the candidates.
The polling and research cited by G100 sources as part of the rationale for considering a run-off have also not been independently verified.
