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Ibadan, Oyo State — Saturday, April 25, 2026 – Opposition political parties in Nigeria on Saturday rose from a high-stakes National Summit in Ibadan with a nine-point communiqué, vowing to resist alleged plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, to impose a one-party state and declaring their resolve to field a single presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.
The summit, held at the Banquet Hall of the Oyo State Government House, Ibadan, and hosted by Governor Seyi Makinde, culminated in what the leaders termed the _“Ibadan Declaration,”_ a comprehensive political charter outlining the opposition’s roadmap to “rescue the nation and the destiny of over 200 million compatriots.”
In the communiqué signed by the Chairmen of Participating Opposition Parties, the leaders said they undertook “extensive deliberation on the collective threats that we face and the existential challenges facing our country under the stranglehold of the oppressive and anti-democratic All Progressives Congress.” They stressed the need for “urgent, collective action” to reverse what they described as Nigeria’s democratic decline.
The opposition parties resolved to “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.”
Directly addressing the 2027 contest, the communiqué declared that “despite the onslaughts and manoeuvrings of the ruling party, the APC, to impose President Bola Tinubu as the sole Presidential candidate in 2027,” the opposition “shall field candidates and contest the 2027 Presidential and other elections.”
In a significant strategic shift, the parties further resolved to “work towards fielding one Presidential Candidate for the 2027 elections, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties to rescue our nation and her long suffering masses.” The move signals a potential repeat of coalition politics aimed at consolidating opposition votes against the incumbent.
The summit issued a direct vote of no confidence in the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan.
The communiqué stated that the INEC Chairman, “having shown bias and partisanship in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections,” adding that “Nigerians across board have lost confidence in him and his capacity to guarantee the required neutrality to deliver free, fair, transparent and credible elections.”
The opposition leaders warned that Prof. Amupitan’s “continuous stay in office is vexatious and capable of triggering widespread crisis in our nation,” demanding his removal ahead of the polls.
The Ibadan Declaration also demanded immediate legislative and administrative action on several fronts.
The parties called on the National Assembly to “immediately review the Electoral Act, 2026 to remove all sections that threaten the sanctity and integrity of the elections and run counter to constitutional provisions.”
They equally faulted what they described as “obstacles, deliberately engineered” in recent guidelines released by INEC, alleging that the guidelines were designed to “impose conditions and deadlines on the opposition parties.” Consequently, they demanded that “INEC extends the deadline for primaries till the end of July, 2026.”
On political detentions, the summit resolved “that all leading politicians that are being detained or harassed on bailable offences be released with immediate effect and allowed to exercise their fundamental rights of participation and inclusivity as Nigerians.”
The opposition leaders commended Nigerians “for their resilience and readiness to work with Opposition Parties to free our nation from State capture.”
The communiqué concluded by thanking “the Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde and the people of Oyo State for hosting the epochal event.”
The National Summit, themed _“Safeguarding Nigeria’s Democracy: A National Dialogue,”_ drew national chairmen of major opposition parties, former governors, and key political stakeholders. It is seen as the most coordinated opposition gathering since the 2023 general elections, and sets the stage for intense political realignments ahead of 2027.
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