The Big Tent and Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) under the leadership of Pat Utomi, a professor of political economic and leader of thought, have commenced consultations with opposition presidential candidates as part of efforts to facilitate the emergence of a single candidate to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. The pro-democracy coalition is also working on live-streaming of proceedings from all polling units to strengthen the credibility of the polls next year.
The groups said a fragmented opposition would struggle to check what they described as the growing concentration of political power in the presidency, urging smaller opposition parties to build a common front ahead of the elections.
They also said the live-streaming of polling activities and stronger redundancy in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) result viewing system would help prevent a repeat of the glitches that marred the electronic transmission and collation of results during the 2023 elections.
Speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Wednesday, Utomi said the organisations were working towards a credible 2027 election as part of a broader effort to prevent what he described as the further deterioration of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
