Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, will lead the Movement for Credible Elections in closed-door talks with major opposition presidential candidates as part of efforts to produce a single candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.
The meetings with the candidates and leaders of their parties are expected to be concluded within two weeks, according to the MCE.
Those expected to be engaged include Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, Seyi Makinde of the Allied People’s Movement, Donald Duke of the People’s Redemption Party, Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress.
The development was disclosed in a statement on Monday by the Media Coordinator of the MCE, James Ezema.
The statement said the Utomi-led Political Commission would hold the meetings behind closed doors to prevent what it described as sabotage by “political mercenaries and jobbers” opposed to the initiative.
It said the engagements were intended to avoid a repeat of previous opposition arrangements in which political actors agreed on the need for a united front but disagreed when it became necessary to select a candidate to lead the alliance.
The statement read, “The Prof Pat Utomi-led Political Commission initiated by Movement for Credible Elections, MCE, to actualise Opposition Coalition for a Single Presidential Candidate in the 2027 Elections has decided to meet shortlisted opposition presidential candidates and their party leaders behind closed doors ahead of its tactical session scheduled to hold in Ibadan in a fortnight.
“The rationale for the closed-door engagements, the commission said, is to prevent sabotage from political mercenaries and jobbers opposed to the initiative and determined to frustrate the negotiations and horse-trading amongst the shortlisted presidential candidates.
“Nigeria cannot afford another opposition arrangement in which political actors agree on the need for a united front but disagree when it becomes necessary to determine the arrowhead and rallying point of that electoral alliance.”
MCE said the selection process would be based on credibility, transparency, fairness, due process and a level playing field, stressing that the modalities and terms of endorsement would be agreed upon by all participating candidates and parties.
The movement said the criteria for evaluating the aspirants would include “national acceptability, competence, integrity, leadership profile, political electability, policy orientation, commitment to democratic institutions, capacity to unite the country and ability to work with diverse social interests.”
It added that the process would also consider the candidates’ understanding of Nigerian political and democratic issues, including what it described as the national constitutional question.
MCE said the proposed coalition would be anchored on a clearly articulated national programme that Nigerians could scrutinise before being asked to support any candidate.
“The Nigerian people deserve more than a coalition of political personalities. They deserve a coalition of ideas, competence, values and a coherent ideological programme for national salvation,” it stated.