Ibadan Coalition Summit Divides Opposition As PDP, Labour, Accord Disown Resolutions

A united opposition front for 2027 unravelled within days as major party factions disowned the Ibadan summit that backed a single presidential candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu.

Blocs in the PDP, ADC, Labour Party, and Accord Party said the meeting did not represent their official stance and vowed to field separate candidates.

The Wike-backed PDP faction dismissed the summit as illegitimate, alleging attendees — including Atiku Abubakar, David Mark, Rabiu Kwankwaso and Peter Obi — were “misled by impostors.”

Rival ADC camps tied to Dumebi Kachikwu also denied involvement, insisting the party will run its own candidate. Labour Party interim chairman Nenadi Usman said the party’s focus is internal restructuring, not coalition talks.

Accord Party rejected the outcome outright and threatened legal action over what it called the unauthorised use of its name and symbol.

●Makinde’s Gambit

Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde hosted the Ibadan meeting, where opposition figures agreed in principle to back one candidate against the ruling APC in 2027.

The APC waved off the move as toothless. It accused Makinde of inciting violence after he referenced the 1965 “Operation Wetie” crisis, arguing a fractured opposition cannot unseat the government.

Though the summit communique warned against a one-party state, the fallout exposed deep cracks in opposition ranks, raising doubts about any real coalition before 2027.