The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, says opposition unity remains possible ahead of the 2027 general election despite the absence of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi from the National Opposition Summit held in Abuja on Monday.
NDC chieftain and Lagos Central senatorial candidate of the party, Ladipo Johnson, made the position known on Tuesday while speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu.
The summit was convened to explore the possibility of building a united opposition ahead of the 2027 general election.
Johnson said the absence of Atiku and Obi should not be interpreted as a lack of interest in opposition unity, arguing that political parties have a major role to play in the negotiations.
He said, “We have to keep aspiring but I wouldn’t say that the absence of the gentlemen means that it was not a serious occasion. 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 must first establish an understanding before presidential candidates are brought into the process.
“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 stated.
Johnson said the opposition would be stronger if the various parties could work together to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative.
He said, “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.”
The NDC chieftain stressed that the objective should be to provide an alternative capable of restoring public confidence and addressing economic and security challenges.
“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.”
On whether the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, could relinquish his presidential ambition in favour of another opposition candidate, Johnson said the current situation was different from the earlier 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.
Johnson said the current negotiations could produce an arrangement where opposition parties support a particular candidate without necessarily joining the candidate’s party.
He said, “Right now, there is a possibility of working together. I doubt if anyone will be leaving somewhere to join someone else or whatever.”
Johnson explained that opposition parties do not necessarily have to merge into a single political party, as they could instead agree to support a common candidate ahead of the 2027 election while maintaining that the possibility of a consensus candidate remained open.
“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.
“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,” he added.
Johnson also argued that even with the emergence of the NDC and the pairing of Peter Obi and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, there was still room for a wider opposition alliance.He explained that other political parties could still endorse or support the NDC ticket before the election.
“So, you cannot stop aspiring. You remember I said that at the beginning. We cannot stop aspiring.” The NDC chieftain reiterated.
On whether he would personally support a consensus opposition candidate who is not Peter Obi, Johnson said he would abide by the decision of his party.
He said, “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.”
Johnson said the decision should be based on the candidate’s ability to provide a better pathway for Nigerians and not simply on the objective of removing President Bola 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,” he stated.
Johnson also defended Kwankwaso’s decision to support Obi, describing it as a demonstration of statesmanship and a willingness to put broader interests’ above personal ambition. Johnson said the arrangement was also influenced by the need to maintain a balance between the North and South after eight years of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to the NDC chieftain, “Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has showed his statesmanship. He has shown that he has ambition, and he contested the last time and actually had ambition to contest, but he sat down with a lot of people over a period of time, it wasn’t overnight, it was a gradual process, and came to the conclusion, firstly, that we now have a southerner in government.”
Johnson also dismissed the argument that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar automatically has a larger organic following than Peter Obi, saying Atiku’s 2023 result was achieved under the platform of the PDP.
He said, “I believe that Atiku Abubakar has been fortunate especially at the last election of representing a major party which was the PDP. So if you are looking at the votes he got and say that he has a larger followership than his excellency Peter Obi. I disagree.”
“I keep telling people that when it comes to organic followership, I don’t think anyone beats both of them, Peter Obi and Kwankwaso,” he added.
Johnson expressed confidence that a high voter turnout in the 2027 general election would work against the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, arguing that many Nigerians are dissatisfied with the current state of the country.
“Mass turnout of voters will not be in favor of the ruling party. Nigerians are not mad people, “he said.
