Opposition political parties and key political actors are set to converge in Abuja today for a summit aimed at building a common front against President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The meeting, convened by the political pressure group, G-100, is expected to focus on strategies for opposition cooperation, coordination and the possibility of presenting a stronger challenge to the incumbent administration.

However, the proposed coalition is already facing internal complications, particularly over the participation of major opposition parties and the question of whether the various political interests can agree on a common presidential candidate.

The Social Democratic Party and Peoples Redemption Party have confirmed their participation in the summit, while the Peoples Democratic Party has distanced itself from the gathering.

The summit is scheduled to hold at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, with SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, and the party’s national leadership are expected to attend.

The G-100, led by former Director-General of the Progressives Governors Forum, Salihu Lukman, has maintained that a fragmented opposition would have limited chances of defeating an incumbent political party with substantial organisational and financial resources.

In a statement issued on Sunday ahead of the summit, Lukman urged opposition parties to set aside their differences and embrace cooperation in the broader interest of the country.

The group argued that previous elections had shown that opposition fragmentation could work in favour of an incumbent by splitting votes and resources among several competing candidates.

“The experience of elections in Nigeria and elsewhere has repeatedly demonstrated that a divided opposition often strengthens the incumbent,” the group said.

It added that parties seeking to defeat the ruling party must recognise areas of common interest and develop practical mechanisms for cooperation.

“Division is a choice. Cooperation must now become a strategy,” the G-100 declared.

The group, however, stressed that the proposed cooperation would not require participating parties to surrender their identities, structures or individual political ambitions.

According to G-100, the immediate objective of the summit is to create a platform for dialogue, coordination and the resolution of disagreements among opposition groups.

It said the parties must be prepared for difficult negotiations, noting that competing ambitions were inevitable but should not prevent the emergence of a credible alternative to the ruling party.

Confirming the SDP’s participation, its National Publicity Secretary, Rufus Aiyenigba, said the party remained committed to working with political groups and Nigerians seeking an alternative political direction.

He said Adebayo and the party’s national leadership would participate in the summit.

“The SDP is very much part of the G-100 initiative and is occupying a frontline position in the scheme of things of the national rescue movement,” Aiyenigba said.

He added that the party would continue to work with “true democrats and patriots” who were committed to Nigeria’s interests.

The PRP has also confirmed that it would attend the meeting, further strengthening expectations that the summit could become a platform for wider opposition negotiations.

The PDP, however, has rejected any suggestion that it is part of the initiative.

The party said it was neither involved in nor aware of the planned summit, adding that it would not participate in opposition alliance discussions conducted outside its established structures.

The absence of the PDP, one of Nigeria’s major opposition parties, could complicate efforts to forge a broad-based coalition capable of mounting a formidable challenge to Tinubu in 2027.

Nevertheless, G-100 said Monday’s meeting should not be viewed as a contest for dominance among opposition politicians or as an immediate attempt to produce winners and losers.

Rather, it said the summit was intended to begin the process of establishing a workable framework through which opposition parties could cooperate while retaining their respective identities.

“Tomorrow is not about declaring winners or losers within the opposition. It is about beginning the work of ensuring that Nigerian democracy wins,” the group said.

The summit comes amid intensified political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, as President Tinubu seeks a second term and opposition politicians increasingly explore alliances aimed at preventing the APC from retaining power at the federal level.