Opposition Parties Unite, Reject One-Party State, Demand INEC Chair’s Removal Ahead of 2027 Polls

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Nigeria’s main opposition political parties, under the banner of a national summit in Ibadan on Saturday, issued a sweeping declaration rejecting what they called the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s attempt to create a one-party state, and demanded the immediate removal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan.

In the communique titled the “Ibadan Declaration,” released after hours of deliberation, the parties resolved to field a single presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, vowing to resist President Bola Tinubu’s purported plan to run unopposed.

The summit, which gathered chairmen of participating opposition parties, accused the APC of anti-democratic maneuvers and expressed no confidence in INEC’s leadership. “Prof. Amupitan, having shown bias in favour of the ruling APC, should not conduct the 2027 general elections,” the communique read, warning that his continued tenure could trigger a nationwide crisis.

The opposition also called on the National Assembly to urgently review the 2026 Electoral Act, remove provisions threatening electoral integrity, and release all politicians detained on bailable offences. They described recent INEC guidelines as deliberate obstacles and demanded that the deadline for party primaries be extended to the end of July 2026.

The declaration commended Nigerians for their resilience and thanked Oyo State Governor Engr. Seyi Makinde for hosting the summit.