Opposition Summit: G100 Urges Parties To Choose Cooperation Over Division

Ahead of the First Summit of Nigeria’s Opposition Political Parties scheduled to hold today in Abuja, the G100 has urged opposition parties, their leaders, candidates and members to prioritise cooperation and national interest over political differences.

The group made the call in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Salihu Moh. Lukman, on Sunday, stressing that opposition parties would be stronger when they work together than when they operate independently.

According to the G100, the summit comes at a critical moment for Nigeria’s democracy, with millions of Nigerians looking to the opposition not only to criticise the government but also to demonstrate the maturity, discipline and national purpose needed to provide a credible alternative.

The group acknowledged that each political party has its own history, identity, ambitions and legitimate interests, but said cooperation does not require any party or leader to abandon its identity or political aspirations.

It said what is required is the wisdom to recognise moments when issues that unite opposition parties should take precedence over those that divide them.

“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,” the statement said.

The G100 declared that “division is a choice” and urged opposition parties to make cooperation a deliberate political strategy.

The group said the summit provides an opportunity for opposition leaders to establish practical mechanisms for dialogue, coordination and cooperation while respecting the identities and structures of the participating parties.

It therefore appealed to all participating leaders to approach the meeting in good faith and with an open mind, while placing the larger interests of Nigeria above individual and partisan considerations.

“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.

The G100 stressed that the summit should not be viewed as a contest for winners and losers within the opposition, but as the beginning of efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic alternatives.

“Tomorrow is not about declaring winners or losers within the opposition. It is about beginning the work of ensuring that Nigerian democracy wins,” it said.

The group added: “Alone, each opposition party can make its case. Together, the opposition can change the course of the country.”

As opposition leaders gather at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja for the summit, the G100 urged them to remember the millions of Nigerians whose aspirations, it said, extend beyond the fortunes of any individual political party or politician.

“History has presented the opposition with an opportunity. We must be wise enough not to waste it,” the group said.