The recent inauguration of Governor Seyi Makinde’s Presidential Campaign Office in Abuja has been described as a significant departure from Nigeria’s traditional pattern of partisan politics, with senior lawyer and political commentator, Asiwaju Kunle Kalejaye, SAN, saying the event signals a new era of cross-party cooperation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Makinde, who is seeking the presidency on the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), hosted prominent political figures from outside his party at the inauguration, including Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi and former Niger State Governor, Dr. Aliyu Babangida, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to Kalejaye, the presence of opposition figures from different political platforms at the event is significant because it challenges the rigid partisan boundaries that have historically characterised Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
He said Nigerian politics has often been defined by fierce party rivalry, ethnic and regional considerations, mutual suspicion and what he described as a “do-or-die” approach to political competition.
Kalejaye noted that the absence of the usual condemnations and accusations of “anti-party activity” following the appearance of rival political figures at Makinde’s campaign office was particularly refreshing.
He argued that the development could represent a shift from destructive opposition politics towards strategic coalition-building, issue-based dialogue and greater cooperation among political actors.
“Belonging to different political parties does not make politicians enemies,” Kalejaye quoted Peter Obi as saying at the event, adding that political differences should provide room for diverse ideas while leaders collectively confront challenges such as hunger, poverty and insecurity.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria said the emerging cooperation among opposition figures appears to be driven largely by concerns over the growing dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and fears about the possible erosion of Nigeria’s multi-party democracy.
He said the emerging alliances could provide a platform for opposition parties and political actors to work together on broad national objectives while retaining their separate political identities, structures and grassroots bases.
Among the areas of possible cooperation, according to Kalejaye, are the rule of law, electoral transparency, effective resource management and comprehensive governance reforms.
He, however, stressed that political cooperation must contend with Nigeria’s electoral laws, particularly the distinction between a formal political merger and an informal alliance.
Kalejaye explained that a formal merger involves the dissolution of existing political structures and the creation of a new political entity, while an informal coalition allows parties to cooperate without surrendering their separate legal identities.
He noted that Nigeria’s electoral framework does not provide for joint presidential tickets involving separate registered political parties, meaning that any candidate seeking election must ultimately be nominated and sponsored by a single registered party.
The legal expert further pointed to statutory requirements governing political party membership, primaries, candidate nomination and electoral timelines, arguing that opposition politicians seeking a formal merger would have to make their decisions early enough to meet the requirements of the law.
Kalejaye also referenced Nigeria’s political history, noting that coalition-building and political realignment have repeatedly emerged as responses to changing electoral realities.
He cited the coalition between the Northern People’s Congress (NPC) and the National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons (NCNC) during the First Republic, subsequent alliances during the Second Republic, and the formation of the APC in 2013 following the merger of several opposition political parties and factions.
He said these historical developments demonstrate the recurring tension between individual political ambitions and the need for collective political survival.
According to him, the appearance of Peter Obi and other political figures at Makinde’s campaign office should therefore not be viewed merely as a ceremonial gesture but as a possible indication of a changing political culture ahead of 2027.
Kalejaye said the development could encourage political actors to place national issues above partisan hostility and pursue broader cooperation capable of strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
He, however, cautioned that the durability of such cooperation would ultimately depend on how political actors reconcile their ambitions with difficult decisions on consensus candidates, party structures and the statutory requirements governing Nigeria’s electoral process.
He concluded that the emerging trend could redefine opposition politics in Nigeria, with the future of democratic competition potentially being shaped not only within individual political parties but also through strategic engagement and cooperation across party lines.
