Pat Utomi Heads Commission for 2027 Election Candidate Talks

Prof. Pat Utomi will lead a commission established by the Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) to engage in private discussions with eight opposition presidential candidates as part of efforts to select a single challenger to President and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 elections. James Ezema, the MCE's Media Coordinator, announced that the commission expects to conclude its meetings within a fortnight.

The candidates involved include Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, Seyi Makinde of the Allied People's Movement, Donald Duke of the People's Redemption Party, Sandy Onor of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party, and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress. The MCE emphasized the importance of keeping discussions private to avoid interference from "political mercenaries." The commission will assess candidates based on various criteria, including national acceptability and leadership profile, and will require candidates to commit to supporting the chosen candidate.

The findings will be presented in Ibadan.