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The proposed G-100 opposition coalition still has enough time to build a strong political alliance capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) vice presidential candidate and former Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mamman Daura, has said.
Daura acknowledged that the coalition faces a tight timeline and unresolved legal questions but expressed confidence that the challenges can be addressed through further discussions among the participating parties.
“I hardily believe that the G-100, or whatever name we may go with it, an attempt at forming a coalition, is still something that is feasible. And there’s something that is also doable, and I think within the timeframe, despite the short period we have, it is also achievable.”
He, however, identified provisions of the 2022 Electoral Act as a major obstacle to the proposed arrangement, particularly over how parties would conduct primaries and whether different parties could retain their identities while jointly producing a presidential candidate.
According to him, the current legal framework makes a conventional merger difficult, unlike the political situation in 2014 when opposition parties were able to combine more easily.
“However, like I said on the day of the summit, there are some issues that need to be threshed out. There are legal issues which have been entrenched in the 2022 Electoral Act, such as maybe a person not being able to run primaries in two parties. Two, there is also the issue of not being given the chance, I think by that same Electoral Act, of candidates either collapsing into or producing a candidate, while the other parties probably may continue to retain their identity.
“All these are legal issues that need to be threshed out. I am not sure which way it is going to go. But before the G-100, there is a top-level discussion going on in an attempt to see whether such a coalition is possible. I could recall maybe in 2014, when the country was faced with a similar situation, it was easier for the parties then to merge. But in our case, merger is almost an impossible thing to do. But again, if we look at the way things are going, probably we need to go to the table and look at the law again and be able to come up with a solution.”
Daura also rejected suggestions that Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s absence from the G-100 summit and other opposition engagements indicated a lack of commitment to the coalition.
He explained that Makinde was outside Nigeria when the meetings took place and had specifically asked him to represent him at the events.
“I don’t seem to really agree with that postulation because it happened the NBA conference in Port Harcourt and also the summit of the coalition of the G-100 happened at a time when my principal was not in the country. And then, looking at the importance, or considering the importance of the two events, he asked me to really represent him, and I think that is a show of concern and seriousness. But as for the others, they might have their own reasons.”
Daura said the coalition had also agreed that key representatives of the participating parties should attend its next meeting to move the discussions forward.
“The conclusion at least that we came to at the end of last Monday’s summit was that next meeting, all principal officers of the parties, that is the presidential candidates, their running mates, and chairmen of these parties, must be there.”
On the prospects of the APM ticket in the 2027 presidential election, Daura said he remained confident that Makinde and the party could compete successfully.
He argued that political discussions should not be restricted to a few prominent opposition figures, saying the competence and record of every candidate should be considered.
“Absolutely, we have that confidence. I would also like to say I don’t really know how we drifted into mentioning just a few names in terms of opposition parties or leaders or candidates. I believe it was a kind of subtle propaganda, political propaganda, where people are either being intimidated or stampeded. It is a matter of quality, quality in terms of the personalities that have put themselves forward to be considered for election in 2027. And I think that there is nothing that is really short of all being equal, all stakeholders aspiring to the highest office in the country, in the land. And therefore, it is not just two people that you should keep on mentioning.”
Daura said economic hardship should receive greater attention in the 2027 political debate, arguing that the controversy surrounding fuel subsidy alone would not resolve Nigeria’s economic difficulties.
He maintained that the deeper problem was the way subsidy had historically been administered and the corruption associated with the system.
“The ideas that they are even talking about, they are not talking about issues. Because the issue of fuel subsidy, for example, whether there is subsidy or no subsidy, the situation in the country or the economic situation or hardship that is being suffered by people is not really going to change much. Because the real issue is not the subsidy itself, rather the way subsidy is implemented, largely because of the corruption that is entrenched in the system.”
The former DSS chief also dismissed projections about zoning and voting patterns, describing them as assumptions that should be tested against current political realities.
“I would like to say the statement made by Mr. Aigbe is mere postulation; it’s not really correct, because I think as quickly as possible he needs to go back to the field and update his data and then let him analyze it and see the outcome. Things have changed so quickly, so rapidly.”
According to Daura, Nigerians are increasingly demanding a change in leadership and paying greater attention to the records and qualities of individual candidates rather than simply identifying with political parties.
“In fact, the dynamics of politics in Nigeria today has never been the way it is, because all the people of Nigeria, unanimously, without coming together to adopt a position, are crying for a change.
“And not only that, they are not really looking at political parties per se, but they are literally looking at the merit or demerit of the individuals that have put themselves forward for that election or to contest the election. And I can tell you, the ordinary man is looking for who is going to offer salvation. And of course, they go by records.”
On the question of who should emerge as the coalition’s presidential candidate, Daura said he favoured a candidate from the South.
“I think looking at what played out in 2023, effort being made to wrest power from the incumbent president automatically means giving the South the chance to complete the term. That is why maybe I support a Southern candidate in 2027.”
