The two main opposition parties in Nigeria have agreed to form an alliance in time for next year’s presidential, parliamentary and state elections.
Leaders of the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) and the Action Congress (AC) agreed not to run rival candidates in each constituency in April 2007.
They said they wanted to mount a serious challenge to the governing People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Presidential candidates for each party are being announced in the next week.
It is possible that the new opposition alliance will choose either longstanding ANPP leader Muhammadu Buhari or Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who has decided not to seek the nomination of the ruling party, as its candidate.
But analysts say both may drop out in favour of a compromise candidate.
Leaders of the PDP have been meeting to screen almost 30 presidential aspirants to reduce their number ahead of this weekend’s crucial party convention.
As well as Mr Abubakar, another frontrunner for the April polls, the former military ruler Ibrahim Babangida, has also ruled himself out of standing for the PDP.
Mr Babangida says he pulled out because current President Olusegun Obasanjo, who steps down after two terms in office, said he would support a rival bid.
Mr Obasanjo has been accused of backing Katsina State Governor Umar Yar’Adua, although this has been denied.