Human rights activist and co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls Movement, Aisha Yesufu, has called on opposition political parties to rally behind the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yesufu argued that a united opposition, with Obi as its consensus candidate, would stand a stronger chance of defeating the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and “rescuing Nigeria” from its current challenges.
In a statement posted on her verified X account on Wednesday, the activist said backing Obi should not be viewed as the abandonment of individual political parties but as a strategic alliance aimed at presenting a formidable front in the next presidential election.
According to her, the 2027 election would not be won by the political party with the loudest supporters but by the coalition capable of uniting diverse opposition forces behind a common objective.
She maintained that Obi had the strongest electoral credentials among opposition figures and should be seen as a candidate capable of attracting broad national support rather than one representing a single political bloc.
Reflecting on the 2023 presidential election, Yesufu noted that President Bola Tinubu secured victory with about 36 per cent of the votes, while the combined votes cast for opposition candidates accounted for the majority of ballots.
She argued that the figures showed the opposition had the numerical strength to win future elections if it could overcome internal divisions and work together.
“Peter Obi is not the candidate of one camp. Unifying under him is not surrender; it is strategy,” she wrote.
She added that such an alliance would not require political parties to dissolve or abandon their identities, insisting that cooperation could be achieved while each party retained its structure and principles.
Yesufu also disclosed that a coordination platform had been created for opposition party operatives, organisers, fundraisers and strategists to enhance collaboration ahead of the 2027 polls.
“If you are a party operative, an organiser, a fundraiser or a strategist sitting inside one of the opposition parties, we have a coordination channel for you, not to replace what you are doing, but to connect it. We have to be unified by something stronger,” she stated.