Political economist Anthony Kila has called on Nigeria’s opposition parties to unite ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying a vibrant opposition is essential to good governance and a healthy democracy.

The Professor of Strategy and Development made the call during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he argued that democracy requires both an effective government and a strong opposition capable of presenting competing ideas.

“For you to have good governance, you need good government in place, but you also need a vibrant opposition. The reason why you need it is that you need someone to govern well, but you need ideas to compete so that one will sharpen the other and you get a better system.

When you do not have these two things, what you have is an imbalanced system that can lead to chaos. Anything short of that is a travesty of democracy,” Kila said.

With opposition parties already positioning themselves for the 2027 contest, Kila urged political actors to look beyond individual ambitions and work towards a common platform capable of providing Nigerians with a credible alternative.

“To that extent, we think it’s important people come together and work. You say there are 19 parties and 19 candidates; I don’t believe Nigeria’s problems have 19 problems and 19 solutions. At most, they have two or three realistic solutions.

“I think people should come together and be able to sacrifice their ambition, elevate their vision and work together in the name of the Republic,” he stated.

Kila also expressed concern over what he described as the fragmentation of the opposition and the growing prominence of the ruling party across the political landscape.

“At the moment, we do not have competing ideas. At the moment, they are fractionalised. If you think about the streets in your cities, you see one poster of one party; the rest you do not see. It tends to be everywhere you go; it’s one party dominating,” he said.

Kila, who is a member of the G100, said such dominance was unhealthy for democracy because it could create the impression that the ruling party enjoys overwhelming support.

“If we do not allow a viable opposition to be a platform for people to express their dissent and to have a peaceful, competitive engagement of ideas, the risk is violence; the risk is lack of legitimacy of whoever wins.

“Even people who are going to vote for the ruling party, even members of the ruling party, should be very concerned because a victory that stands out of a so-called one-party state is not a good victory,” he added.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for Saturday, January 16, 2027, followed by the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections on Saturday, February 6, 2027. (Channels TV)