A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki has endorsed the G-100 initiative aimed at uniting opposition forces to challenge the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
The faction said it had joined the process because of the need for opposition parties and other political organisations to work together towards providing an alternative to the APC-led Federal Government.
The position was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, after the maiden G-100 meeting held on Monday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
The meeting, which had representatives of six opposition parties in attendance, focused on building cooperation among the parties and exploring the possibility of producing a common presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
According to the PDP faction, the decision to support the initiative was influenced by what it described as the worsening hardship and insecurity being experienced by Nigerians under the administration of President Bola Tinubu.
“The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a responsible opposition party, has endorsed the G-100 (a group of 100 opposition stalwarts) driven process of creating an all-opposition front to challenge the incumbent APC candidate in the 2027 general elections,” the statement said.
The party said the initiative represented an opportunity for opposition forces to combine efforts in responding to the challenges facing the country.
It said its decision was informed by “the wailings of Nigerians groaning under the repressive Bola Tinubu APC-led Federal Government, and the compelling need to join forces with other credible political forces in search of the country’s redemption.”
Turaki, according to the statement, said the faction’s participation would depend on the G-100 process maintaining transparency and fairness.
“Our participation is anchored on the promise that the process will be hinged on the philosophical underpinnings of transparency, equality, data-driven decisions and egalitarianism,” he said.
He argued that an opposition candidate produced through such a process would have the credibility needed to tackle poverty and insecurity.
Turaki said the faction’s involvement was also consistent with its previous commitment to working with “like-minded political parties and organisations” seeking to remove the APC from power.
The faction added that its participation in the Abuja meeting demonstrated its determination to help establish an all-opposition platform capable of taking power from the ruling party and rebuilding the country.
At the summit, the participating opposition parties agreed to commence a structured process for negotiating cooperation ahead of the 2027 elections.
The proposed framework includes the establishment of standing committees and working groups to develop recommendations on opposition unity, a national reform programme and the process for selecting a common presidential candidate.
The G-100 initiative is unfolding amid renewed efforts by opposition parties to prevent another division of votes similar to that witnessed in the 2023 presidential election.
In that election, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party contested separately, splitting the opposition vote.
Atiku and Obi were not present at Monday’s G-100 summit.
The ADC has since played down Atiku’s absence, with its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, saying the meeting was primarily intended for political parties to discuss cooperation rather than for presidential candidates to deliberate among themselves.
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