Professor Pat Utomi has begun consultations with major opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, as efforts intensify to establish a single candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
Utomi is among political actors advocating greater cooperation among opposition parties and contenders ahead of the election. The latest discussions come amid continuing efforts to resolve competing presidential ambitions and develop a framework for a possible consensus candidate.
The consultations are focused on bringing major opposition figures together and exploring a process through which they could agree on one presidential candidate.
The move comes as opposition parties continue to pursue different political platforms. Atiku is running on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform, while Obi is the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), according to current reports.
Utomi’s initiative comes against the backdrop of earlier efforts by opposition leaders to form a broader alliance. In April, opposition figures met in Ibadan, Oyo State, and agreed to work towards a single presidential candidate, although subsequent developments have made the process more difficult.
A major challenge remains determining the mechanism for selecting the eventual consensus candidate. While some opposition figures support the principle of a single candidate, individual presidential ambitions and separate party structures have continued to complicate negotiations.
Mohammed Salihu Lukman, a former Director-General of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, has also been advocating for a consensus arrangement through the G-100 political movement.
Lukman has argued that the selection process should be based on agreed rules rather than the personal popularity, financial strength or influence of any particular contender. He said, “The ultimate objective is that we want to have one candidate, but it cannot be by declaration.”
Meanwhile, the ADC has indicated that a coalition is not necessarily required for the party to contest the 2027 election. Its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party could still proceed with its own electoral strategy.
The developments highlight the competing approaches within the opposition camp, with some political actors continuing to push for a unified platform while others are proceeding with individual party arrangements.
Utomi’s latest consultations therefore form part of a broader effort to determine whether opposition parties and their leading presidential contenders can agree on a common candidate ahead of the 2027 election.
The outcome of the discussions will depend on whether the major contenders can agree on an acceptable and transparent process for selecting a consensus candidate while accommodating the interests of the participating parties and political groups.
