Nigeria’s opposition parties are set to resume fresh negotiations ahead of the 2027 general elections as major political blocs converge in Abuja for a summit aimed at establishing a formal framework for cooperation.

Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi are among the prominent opposition figures expected at the First Summit of Nigeria’s Opposition Political Parties, scheduled for Monday, August 31, 2026, at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

The summit, convened by the G100, is themed “A Framework for Opposition Cooperation and Coordination.” It is expected to bring together leaders of six opposition parties to begin structured discussions on the terms, institutions and principles that could underpin their collaboration against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027.

The participating parties are the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).

According to a statement signed by the G100 Convenor, Salihu Moh. Lukman, the summit will not be used to immediately settle the question of who will emerge as the opposition’s presidential candidate.

Rather, he said the immediate objective is to create a credible and transparent mechanism through which the parties can negotiate contentious issues collectively.

“The first question before party leaders is not who leads the ticket. It is what we are, together, prepared to do for this country,” Lukman stated.

He explained that the summit would seek to move opposition cooperation beyond informal consultations by establishing an institutional structure capable of managing negotiations among the participating parties.

“The First Summit is not intended to determine, in a single sitting, questions of presidential candidacy or the final form that opposition cooperation may take,” he said.

“Its immediate purpose is more fundamental, to establish and authorise a formal architecture through which those questions can be negotiated collectively, transparently and in good faith.”

The development comes after the G100 published its Doctrine of a Necessary Democratic Opposition on August 2, 2026, followed by weeks of consultations with the six political parties.

Lukman said the consultations produced a joint briefing document outlining areas where the parties share common ground while recognising their different political histories, interests and structures.

“At the centre of the consultations was a common recognition of the need for a credible, organised and competitive democratic opposition, and a willingness to engage the difficult questions that meaningful cooperation ahead of 2027 will require,” he said.

A key proposal before the summit is the establishment of five specialised Working Groups to handle different aspects of the proposed opposition cooperation.

If endorsed by the participating parties, the groups will have four weeks to prepare the major documents and agreements required to give institutional backing to the coalition arrangement.

The G100 also stressed that cooperation would not require any of the parties to dissolve or surrender their identities.

“Cooperation does not require any party to disappear into another,” Lukman said, stressing that the proposed framework was intended to facilitate collaboration while preserving the distinct identities of the participating political parties.

Each party is expected to attend the summit with a delegation comprising members of its National Working Committee and representatives of other key constituencies.

National chairmen and NWC members of the six parties, as well as presidential candidates and their running mates, are expected to participate in the deliberations.