PDP Faction Supports Single Candidate for 2027 Election Against Tinubu

A group within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by Kabiru Turaki, has backed a proposal from some opposition politicians to pick one presidential candidate for the 2027 elections.

The faction released a statement on Tuesday through its National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong. They said having one candidate against President Bola Tinubu from the All Progressives Congress (APC) is important to beat the ruling party in the upcoming election.

A group of opposition leaders, calling themselves G-100, met in Abuja on Monday to discuss how to challenge the APC in the 2027 presidential race. The APC is backing President Tinubu, who wants to run for a second term.

However, some key opposition figures were not present at the meeting. This includes Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Peter Obi, the candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC).

Six opposition parties attended the meeting. These are the ADC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), NDC, Turaki-led PDP, Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

After the meeting, the parties decided to set up committees and working groups. These groups will work on ideas for unity among the opposition, a national reform plan, and a strategy to choose a common presidential candidate.

Ememobong said his faction supports the idea of having a single candidate because of the suffering Nigerians are facing under Tinubu's government. He quoted Turaki, the faction’s National Chairman, saying they believe a clear process of working together can bring trustworthy leadership to Nigerians.

"This decision is based on the cries of Nigerians suffering under the Bola Tinubu APC-led federal government. We feel the need to join forces with other credible political groups to save the country," Turaki said.

He added, "Our participation is based on the promise that the process will focus on transparency, equality, data-driven decisions, and fairness. Any outcome from such a process will surely provide Nigerians with a trustworthy leadership that can reduce poverty and tackle rising insecurity in the country."

Ememobong mentioned that this new plan fits with their earlier goal of building ties with other political parties and groups that share their vision.

"This new move matches our earlier stance of teaming up with other like-minded parties and groups wanting to rescue the country from the issues created by the APC."

He also noted that their attendance at the G-100 meeting on August 31, 2026, shows their commitment to contributing to an all-opposition platform that can take power and rebuild Nigeria for everyone.

The recent talks for a single candidate are not the first efforts ahead of the 2027 election. On April 25, opposition leaders and party representatives met in Ibadan, Oyo State. They agreed to work together to pick one candidate against President Tinubu.

This agreement, known as the "Ibadan Declaration," aimed to avoid splitting opposition votes and improve the chances of defeating the ruling party in the 2027 election.

Prominent opposition figures attended this meeting. These include Atiku, Obi, his running mate Rabiu Kwankwaso, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.

But the agreement faced pushback from some political parties and factions that claimed they were not represented or did not support the resolutions.

For example, the Labour Party said it was not part of the Ibadan meeting and would have its own presidential candidate. The Accord Party also rejected the meeting and said it did not agree to use its name or logo.

A PDP faction connected to the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, also turned down the Ibadan declaration and opposed the idea of a single opposition candidate.

The African Action Congress (AAC), led by Omoyele Sowore, also rejected the proposal, stating it would put forward its own candidate.

These disagreements show the challenges in forming a wide opposition alliance, especially as many parties have their own presidential goals.

By July, reports suggested that the push for a common candidate was losing steam. Some factions that had joined or been linked with the Ibadan plan were pulling back from the idea.