2026

A group of opposition politicians, known as G-100, had urged opposition leaders and presidential hopefuls to prioritise cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement issued by former APC chieftain Salihu Lukman, the group called on leaders including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and other opposition figures to work together despite their political differences. G-100 said a divided opposition could strengthen the incumbent government by splitting votes and resources. It urged the parties to approach their planned summit in Abuja with an open mind and place Nigeria’s interests above personal ambitions. The group said cooperation did not require political parties to abandon their identities or aspirations, but stressed that a united opposition would provide Nigerians with a stronger alternative in the 2027 elections.

The faction of the O’odua People’s Congress led by the late Dr Frederick Fasehun has endorsed President Bola Tinubu for a second term in the 2027 presidential election. The group announced its support for Tinubu in Lagos on Saturday during its 32nd Founders’ Day celebration and the inauguration of a new National Executive Council. Speaking at the event, the re-elected OPC President, Wasiu Afolabi, said the organisation would work for Tinubu’s re-election, just as it supported his presidential bid in 2023. Afolabi said the OPC considered any Yoruba person occupying the presidency as a collective project of the organisation, adding that the group would continue to support Tinubu if the right conditions were provided. He also urged other regions to back the President’s second-term bid, saying this would allow Tinubu to continue with the reforms initiated by his administration. The OPC president further recalled the group’s origins in 1994, saying it was established by Fasehun following the annulment of the June 12, 1993 presidential election won by the late MKO Abiola. The chairman of the occasion, Wale Oshun, also described the OPC as an important organisation in Nigeria’s democratic struggle. He said the group’s continued existence and growth, eight years after the death of its founder, demonstrated the strength of Fasehun’s vision.

Experts have warned that corruption remains a major obstacle to Nigeria’s development, affecting governance, healthcare, security, infrastructure and education. Speaking in a report by Saturday Vanguard, the experts said the diversion of public funds had contributed to the poor state of critical infrastructure and public services. They also linked corruption in the health sector to shortages of medicines and equipment, poor healthcare delivery and preventable deaths. The experts said corruption could not be completely eliminated but could be significantly reduced through stronger institutions, digital systems, transparent procurement and strict punishment for offenders. They also called for greater public participation and accountability to prevent corruption from becoming accepted as a normal part of society.

A fresh dispute has emerged within the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, over its governorship ticket in Plateau State, with former governor Jonah Jang and the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, reportedly divided over a possible replacement candidate. The crisis came less than 24 hours before the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was expected to publish the names of governorship and State Assembly candidates for the 2027 election. The party reportedly submitted the name of its state chairman, Yakubu Ndam, as a placeholder after the purported suspension of Da Jonathan Sunday Akuns, who had emerged unopposed from the party’s direct primary in the state. NDC North Central National Vice Chairman, Barnabas Ejisi, and Ndam were said to have been working to find a substantive replacement for Ndam. The search reportedly led party stakeholders to former Plateau governor Jonah Jang, with efforts made to move Garba Sunday Biggs, a preferred candidate of Jang’s faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, into the NDC. However, Jang reportedly rejected the proposal when Kwankwaso visited him at his Abuja residence to celebrate his 80th birthday. A close ally of Jang said the former governor recalled Kwankwaso’s alleged failure to support him during the 2015 contest for the chairmanship of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, where Rotimi Amaechi defeated him by 18 votes to 15. The dispute was reportedly among issues being considered by the NDC’s Northern Zonal Reconciliation Sub-Committee, which was set up to address complaints and disagreements arising from the party’s primary elections and state structures. With INEC expected to release the final list of governorship candidates, it remained uncertain whether the NDC would field a candidate in Plateau State or leave incumbent governor Caleb Mutfwang of the All Progressives Congress, APC, with a less competitive re-election contest.