2027: Utomi Leads Closed-Door Talks With Atiku, Obi, Others On Single Opposition Candidate
Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, will lead the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) in closed-door talks with major opposition presidential candidates as part of efforts to produce a single candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the Media Coordinator of MCE, James Ezema.
According to the statement, the meetings with the candidates and leaders of their parties are expected to be concluded within two weeks, ahead of a tactical session scheduled to hold in Ibadan in a fortnight.
Those expected to be engaged include Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Seyi Makinde of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Donald Duke of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP), Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC).
The MCE said the Utomi-led Political Commission will hold the meetings behind closed doors to prevent what it described as sabotage by “political mercenaries and jobbers” opposed to the initiative.
The statement read in part: “The rationale for the closed-door engagements is to prevent sabotage from political mercenaries and jobbers opposed to the initiative and determined to frustrate the negotiations and horse-trading amongst the shortlisted presidential candidates.”
It added that Nigeria cannot afford another opposition arrangement in which actors agree on the need for a united front but disagree when it becomes necessary to determine the arrowhead of the alliance.
MCE said the selection process would be based on credibility, transparency, fairness, due process and a level playing field, with modalities and terms of endorsement to be agreed by all participating candidates and parties.
It listed criteria for evaluation to include national acceptability, competence, integrity, leadership profile, electability, policy orientation, commitment to democratic institutions, capacity to unite the country and ability to work with diverse social interests, as well as understanding of the national constitutional question.
The movement said the proposed coalition would be anchored on a clearly articulated national programme covering insecurity, economic hardship, unemployment, poverty, institutional decay, electoral integrity, constitutional reform, education, healthcare, energy and cost of governance.
“The Nigerian people deserve more than a coalition of political personalities. They deserve a coalition of ideas, competence, values and a coherent ideological programme for national salvation,” MCE stated.
It stressed that its role is not to impose a candidate but to facilitate a credible process, noting that every participating candidate and party would be required to commit in advance to respecting the outcome and supporting the adopted candidate.
Utomi will be joined in the engagements by Maryam Ciroma, Modupe Adelaja, Solomon Dalung, Uche Onyeagocha, Olusegun Mayegun, Sam Amadi, Mike Iginni, Obongawan Barbara Etim James, Olawale Okunniyi and Dr. Adum Ter Alex, among others.
The MCE initiative comes after the G100 group of 100 concerned Nigerians in August called on opposition leaders including Atiku, Obi, Makinde, Bala Mohammed, Seriake Dickson, Rotimi Amaechi, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Rauf Aregbesola to bury personal ambitions and negotiate around a single presidential candidate.
