The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has said the absence of its presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and that of his counterpart in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, from Monday’s National Opposition Summit in Abuja does not rule out the possibility of a united opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Ladipo Johnson, a chieftain of the NDC and the party’s Lagos Central senatorial candidate, stated this on Tuesday while appearing on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.
The summit was convened to discuss possible strategies for opposition parties to work together ahead of the 2027 elections.
Johnson argued that the absence of prominent opposition figures from the meeting should not be interpreted as a rejection of the proposed alliance, stressing that political parties must first play a central role in negotiations.
“We have to keep aspiring but I wouldn’t say that the absence of the gentlemen means that it was not a serious occasion,” Johnson said.
“I wouldn’t say that the absence of my presidential candidate, vice presidential candidate, or those of the ADC meant that they had no interest in the matter. They do.”
According to him, the parties involved in the negotiations must first establish the framework for cooperation before individual presidential candidates are brought into the process.
He said parties traditionally play a critical role in determining the outcome of political negotiations, adding that they are responsible for finalising the terms of any agreement.
“You understand that the party has an important role in party politics and usually at this stage of such negotiations, it is the party that really dots the I’s and crosses the T’s,” he said.
Johnson maintained that opposition parties would have a stronger chance of presenting Nigerians with a credible alternative if they could overcome their differences and work together.
“One thing is clear, the stronger we are, the better for us. We have to come together to make sure that we give Nigerians an opportunity, an alternative that is credible and strong,” he said.
He said the objective of such an alliance should go beyond simply defeating President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC), arguing that Nigerians needed a political alternative capable of restoring confidence and tackling economic hardship and insecurity.
“That is strong enough to give Nigerians more confidence. I’m not saying we’re not strong as individual parties. We will give them more confidence that hope and help is on the way to get Nigerians away from the economic doldrums they have faced in recent times and the insecurities,” Johnson stated.
Obi may not need to step aside
On whether Obi could abandon his presidential ambition in favour of another opposition candidate, Johnson said the current negotiations were different from previous political arrangements involving the ADC.
“The situation at that time was totally different. They left because of certain legal reasons that they felt might be inimical to the growth of the party at that time, the ADC,” he explained.
He said opposition parties could cooperate without necessarily merging or requiring their candidates to join another political party.
“Right now, there is a possibility of working together. I doubt if anyone will be leaving somewhere to join someone else or whatever,” he said.
Johnson explained that the emerging arrangement could allow one party to field its candidate while other opposition parties endorse that candidate without abandoning their individual identities.
“What you can have is that if you feel it is going to work, then the candidates of a party might go on and other parties will say we are supporting these two people to bring about a unified whatever against the government in power,” he said.
He added that the opposition summit had discussed the principle of having a single presidential candidate supported by the participating parties, without deciding which party the candidate must come from.
“It was just the principles that were spoken about that we should make sure that we have one presidential candidate that we would all support and we did not say that person would come from a particular party or the other and so, it is still a possibility,” Johnson said.
The NDC chieftain also maintained that the formation of the NDC and the reported pairing of Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso would not prevent other opposition parties from joining or supporting the ticket.
“So, you cannot stop aspiring. You remember I said that at the beginning. We cannot stop aspiring,” he reiterated.
Johnson said he would support any consensus candidate eventually endorsed by his party, even if that candidate was not Obi.
“Definitely if I am a member, a miniscule, minute member of the NDC, if the party, the leadership have decided that, OK, we are supporting so-and-so person, who is Ladipo Johnson to say, no, I am going against what the party has said as a whole? You don’t do that,” he said.
He, however, stressed that any consensus arrangement should be driven by the candidate’s capacity to provide better governance rather than merely by opposition to Tinubu or the APC.
“It is not just about getting rid of President Bola Tinubu or the APC. For us, in the NDC, especially my two principals, Peter Obi and Rabbi Musa Kwankwaso it is about presenting something better,” Johnson sdai.
“I keep telling people that when it comes to organic followership, I don’t think anyone beats both of them, Peter Obi and Kwankwaso,”.
Johnson further expressed confidence that a high voter turnout in 2027 could favour the opposition, arguing that widespread dissatisfaction with the state of the country could motivate more Nigerians to participate in the election.
“Mass turnout of voters will not be in favor of the ruling party. Nigerians are not mad people,” he said.
