G100 Proposes Four-Year Transition Government at Opposition Summit

The G100 has proposed the establishment of a Government of National Competence based on a single, non-renewable four-year transition term as part of efforts to unite Nigeria’s opposition parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The proposal was presented by Mallam Salihu Moh. Lukman in his opening remarks at the Summit of Nigeria’s Opposition Political Parties, held on Monday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja.

The summit brought together representatives of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), alongside some presidential and vice-presidential candidates and the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.

At the commencement of the summit, the presidential candidates of the SDP, Prince Adebayo Adewole, and PRP, Donald Duke, as well as the APM vice-presidential candidate, Lawal Daura, were present. The presidential candidates of the ADC, Atiku Abubakar, and NDC, Peter Obi, were still expected.

Lukman said the proposed Government of National Competence would be guided by competence, integrity, national inclusion and equitable representation among participating parties.

He said the proposed administration should operate under a clearly defined four-year National Reset Programme and be governed by an enforceable Transition Charter committing all parties to a single four-year term.

“The Framework before you proposes something more demanding than a merger of ambitions: a Government of National Competence, built on competence, integrity, national inclusion, and fair representation of every party that contributes to the effort.”

Lukman stressed that any agreement reached by the opposition must be legally binding rather than based solely on political promises.

According to him, past political agreements have often failed because there were no effective mechanisms to enforce commitments when circumstances changed.

He said: “This gathering does not need more sincerity. Nigerian politics has never suffered from a shortage of sincere promises. What it has suffered from is promises that nobody could enforce when the person who made them changed his/her mind.”

He added that any agreement reached must be documented, witnessed and backed by consequences for violations.

Why Opposition Unity Matters

Lukman traced the history of Nigeria’s opposition politics since 1999, noting that opposition parties contested presidential elections separately in 2003, 2007 and 2011 before their cooperation contributed to the political change witnessed in 2015.

He argued that the failure of opposition parties to coordinate effectively in 2023 resulted in a division of votes that ultimately favoured the eventual winner.

According to him, the figures from the 2023 election demonstrated the consequences of opposition fragmentation, with two major opposition candidates collectively securing more votes than the candidate who eventually formed the Federal Government.

He described the outcome as largely self-inflicted rather than the result of a conspiracy.

Three Coalition Committees Proposed

Lukman also announced a proposed structure for the opposition cooperation, comprising three standing committees.

They include a Central Leadership Committee, made up of national chairmen, national secretaries and presidential and vice-presidential candidates of participating parties.

A Publicity and Communication Committee would coordinate joint communication, while a Legal Committee would provide legal advice and coordinate legal strategies relating to the coalition.

He said the G100 would only serve as facilitators and observers in the proposed structures, subject to the approval of the participating political parties.

Five Working Groups to Develop Framework

The G100 also proposed five working groups, with each participating party expected to nominate one representative.

The groups are expected to prepare working papers within four weeks on A National Covenant for Democratic Renewal; A Single-Term Transition Charter;A National Reform Programme, A Framework for Opposition Unity; and A Roadmap to a Common Presidential Candidate.

The documents, Lukman said, would subsequently be presented at a second summit for consideration and possible adoption.

No Party Asked to Dissolve

Lukman clarified that the summit was not seeking the immediate merger or dissolution of any political party and was not asking any presidential candidate to withdraw from the race.

He said the immediate objective was to establish the framework through which difficult questions about cooperation, leadership and candidate selection could later be negotiated.

“It is not asking any party to dissolve. It is not asking any party to disappear into another party. It is not asking any candidate to stand down this morning.”

He warned that opposition leaders must be transparent about their positions and avoid placing personal or party ambitions ahead of the broader objective.

According to him, disagreements openly expressed at the early stage could still be resolved, but concealed positions could destroy the coalition at a later stage.

G100 Says It Has No Preferred Candidate

Lukman said the G100, in collaboration with the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives, organised the summit without endorsing any particular political party or presidential candidate.

He maintained that the group’s objective was to create a credible alternative capable of giving Nigerians a meaningful choice at the ballot box.

“Our only interest is the one stated in the Doctrine we published on August 2: that a democracy is sustained not merely by holding elections, but by the credible possibility of an alternative government,” he said.

Lukman said the difficult economic and security conditions confronting Nigerians should motivate political leaders to build a serious and competent alternative.

He cited the experiences of Nigerians struggling with rising education costs, displacement caused by insecurity and a lack of employment opportunities for graduates.

He said Nigerians deserve “a real choice, presented by serious people, capable of governing,” describing this as the fundamental responsibility of a democratic opposition.