Seyi Makinde held a private meeting on Tuesday with presidential hopeful Peter Obi at the governor’s office in Ibadan, in what aides described as part of widening consultations ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
The talks, which lasted nearly two hours, brought together a cluster of political heavyweights, including former governors Sam Egwu, Okwesilieze Nwodo, Achike Udenwa, as well as Senator Ben Obi, Oseloka Obaze and Onyema Ugochukwu.
Speaking afterwards, Obi said the visit formed part of a broader effort to forge a coalition capable of reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory. “We have come to consult … on the coalition for the 2027 election and the overall wellbeing of Nigeria,” he said, framing the discussions less as electoral manoeuvring and more as a search for national renewal.
Obi, who has increasingly positioned himself as a consensus-seeking figure across opposition lines, said Nigerians should expect “a more united, secure and progressive country” driven by a shift from consumption to production. His remarks echoed a familiar theme of economic restructuring and job creation, central to his political messaging since the 2023 election cycle.
The meeting with Makinde follows Obi’s engagement a day earlier with former president Goodluck Jonathan, underlining a pattern of high-level outreach that analysts say points to early coalition-building efforts.
Tuesday’s talks also come on the heels of a high-profile opposition summit hosted in Ibadan just days earlier, where leading figures and party chairmen gathered to map out strategies for challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress in 2027.
Among those present at the summit were former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rauf Aregbesola and Aminu Tambuwal, alongside party leaders including David Mark and Nenadi Usman.
The convergence of political actors in Ibadan — first at the summit and now in smaller, strategic meetings — suggests a growing urgency among opposition figures to bridge longstanding divides. For Makinde, a sitting governor with influence across party lines, the consultations position him as a potential broker in any emerging alliance.
For now, participants are careful to cast the talks in broad, almost philosophical terms: unity, security, opportunity. But beneath the language lies a more immediate calculation — whether Nigeria’s fragmented opposition can coalesce into a viable electoral force before 2027.
