The G100, a political advocacy group, has urged opposition political parties in Nigeria to set aside their differences and embrace cooperation ahead of the First Summit of Nigeria’s Opposition Political Parties scheduled to hold on Monday in Abuja.
The group made the call in a statement signed by its representative, Salihu Moh. Lukman, on Sunday, a day before the summit, stressing that opposition parties must work together to provide Nigerians with a credible alternative ahead of future elections.
According to the group, the summit is coming at a critical moment for Nigeria’s democracy, with millions of citizens expecting opposition parties to go beyond criticising the government and demonstrate the maturity and discipline required to provide effective political alternatives.
“Tomorrow’s Summit comes at an important moment for Nigeria’s democracy. Across the country, millions of Nigerians are looking to the opposition not merely to criticise the government of the day, but to demonstrate the maturity, discipline and sense of national purpose required to offer a credible alternative,” the G100 said.
The group acknowledged that the participating political parties had different histories, identities, ambitions and interests, but argued that such differences should not prevent them from pursuing areas of common interest.
It said cooperation would not require any political party to surrender its identity or political ambitions, but would require leaders to recognise that the interests uniting them could be more important than their differences.
The G100 said Nigeria’s electoral history had shown that a fragmented opposition could inadvertently strengthen an incumbent government by dividing votes, resources and political energies.
“The experience of elections in Nigeria and elsewhere has repeatedly demonstrated that a divided opposition often strengthens the incumbent. When parties competing for the same broad constituency fragment their energies, resources and votes, they risk turning their differences into an unintended advantage for those they seek to replace,” it said.
The group therefore called for cooperation to become a deliberate political strategy, saying, “Division is a choice. Cooperation must now become a strategy.”
It also described the summit as an opportunity for opposition leaders to establish practical mechanisms for dialogue, coordination and cooperation while preserving the identities and structures of the individual parties.
“Tomorrow’s Summit provides an opportunity to begin building practical mechanisms for dialogue, coordination and cooperation, while respecting the identities and structures of participating parties,” the statement added.
The G100 urged political leaders attending the summit to approach the meeting with an open mind and in the interest of the country, warning that disagreements and competing ambitions should not derail efforts to build a stronger opposition platform.
“There will be disagreements, competing ambitions and difficult conversations. These are natural in politics. But none should prevent us from recognising the greater danger of allowing our differences to deny Nigerians a credible alternative,” the group said.
It stressed that the summit should not be viewed as a contest for supremacy among opposition parties, but as the beginning of a broader effort to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process.
“Tomorrow is not about declaring winners or losers within the opposition. It is about beginning the work of ensuring that Nigerian democracy wins,” the G100 said.
The group added that while individual opposition parties could make their respective cases to Nigerians, greater cooperation could provide them with the strength required to influence the country’s political direction.
“Alone, each opposition party can make its case. Together, the opposition can change the course of the country,” it said.
The summit is expected to take place at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.
The G100 urged opposition leaders to keep in mind the aspirations of Nigerians who, according to the group, are looking beyond the interests of individual politicians and political parties.
“History has presented the opposition with an opportunity. We must be wise enough not to waste it,” the group said.