- Olawepo-Hashim, Omoyele Sowore, and Adewole Adebayo met in Port Harcourt to discuss merging their political forces ahead of 2027
- The three opposition candidates raised concerns about democratic erosion, economic hardship, and insecurity under Tinubu’s administration
- The proposed alliance aims to present a single governing alternative, but the structure and joint candidate are yet to be decided
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Port Harcourt, Rivers – Three Nigerian opposition presidential candidates have agreed to consolidate their political forces into a joint democratic platform ahead of the 2027 elections, in what could mark the most significant realignment of Nigeria’s opposition politics in recent years.
As reported on Monday, August 17, by Vanguard, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim of the Accord Party, Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC), and Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) reached the agreement following a recent meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers state. At the meeting, they discussed issues around Nigeria’s democracy, economy, and security.
Source: Facebook
2027 election: Opposition warns of “coronation”
Daily Trust also noted the development.
The three leaders said they were alarmed by what they described as the concentration of political power, the weakening of democratic institutions, and the narrowing of space for genuine political competition. They warned that Nigeria risked shifting from a competitive multi-party democracy toward “a coronation disguised as an election.”
In a joint position, they said the larger national interest must take precedence over individual political ambitions, and that their proposed alliance would seek to mobilise workers, youths, women, professionals, entrepreneurs, civil society organisations, and Nigerians across ethnic, religious, and regional lines. The structure, modalities, and choice of a joint presidential candidate are yet to be decided.
The candidates also criticised the economic direction of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, pointing to fuel subsidy removal and currency devaluation as key drivers of rising living costs, declining purchasing power, and unemployment. They called for urgent reforms, including meaningful salary increases towards a living wage, stronger domestic production, and measures to bring down inflation.
On security, the trio demanded a proactive national strategy built on intelligence, technology, community cooperation, and effective prosecution, while rejecting what they called appeasement and selective enforcement that allowed violent groups to operate with impunity.
2027 election candidates call for Nnamdi Kanu’s release
The candidates demanded an immediate review of cases involving Nigerians detained over political expression or peaceful advocacy. They specifically called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the convicted leader of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB), whose agitation, they said, has centred on the political rights of Igbo people. They also called for the release of Bichia Maisango, described as an advocate of Hausa Zallah cultural rights.
Source: Twitter
Furthermore, the opposition leaders called for an end to the alleged legal and political persecution of Sowore over his political activities, while clarifying that their position did not amount to an endorsement of the views or methods of the individuals named.
The leaders urged the international community, regional institutions, and human rights organisations to monitor Nigeria’s democratic trajectory closely. They called on international partners to document evidence of democratic backsliding and consider targeted sanctions, including visa restrictions, against individuals found to have abused public office to undermine constitutional democracy. At the same time, they rejected any form of foreign interference in Nigeria’s sovereign affairs.
The three candidates declared:
“Nigeria’s multi-party democracy must be preserved. No individual, political party, security agency, electoral official or institution is bigger than the Nigerian constitution.”
The list of the presidential candidates against Tinubu is highlighted below:
- Adewole Adebayo
- Omoyele Sowore
- Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim
Read more on 2027 elections
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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that ChatGPT predicted that the ruling APC would likely win Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, using the Four Horsemen framework.
It cited the current opposition coalition but said the ruling APC has the edge due to possible low voter turnout and the Tinubu administration’s efforts to stabilise the economy.
The political climate reached a point where the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had to issue a warning that campaigning at that time was illegal, echoing the standpoint of popular human rights lawyer Femi Falana.
Source: Legit.ng