President Bola Tinubu’s spokesperson, Sunday Dare, has said the new political coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) cannot be compared to the APC coalition that was formed in 2013.

Dare, in a statement on Thursday, said the new coalition is based on personal ambition, not national interest.

He claimed that the promoters of the new coalition, ADC, like to draw parallels with what the APC achieved in 2013 and noted that “this is not 2013—and this is not the APC.”

Dare explained that in 2013, the merger that birthed the APC was driven by selflessness, national interest, and strategic discipline, and the leaders at the time, like Tinubu, were willing to set aside personal ambitions for the greater good.

Tinubu, he said, had strong political support from several sitting governors but chose to wait and build a strong party instead of rushing to become president, and he has never lost an election, and he didn’t have to force his way in.

Dare stated, “Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite commanding the loyalty of several sitting governors, chose to wait. He bided his time, played the long game, and focused on building a viable political platform. He had never lost an election, and he didn’t have to force his way in.”

In comparison to Tinubu, Dare said the current coalition, ADC, is being led by someone who has lost many elections and has little support.

“Now contrast that with today’s coalition. The chief promoter is a serial election loser, clutching at what he clearly sees as his last shot at the presidency. Unlike Tinubu, he enters the coalition alone, without the backing of his state governor, his region, or any meaningful political structure. His ambition is personal, not patriotic. So also that of his many co-travellers,” he added.

He also said the 2013 APC had a strong leader in Muhammadu Buhari, who was respected across the country and trusted by the people. But today’s ADC coalition, according to Dare, cannot “command that kind of loyalty or trust. Not one of them could genuinely unite a ward, let alone a country. No one comes close to parading the democratic credentials of President Bola Tinubu.”

Dare added, “Most importantly, the APC coalition emerged to address real grievances: the constitutional denial of power to a region that had been unfairly sidelined and to end the 16 years of ruinous governance by the PDP. It was a coalition grounded in justice and balance.”

Dare added that there is no real reason for the new coalition, noting that “this new coalition? It’s purely opportunistic. The presidency already rests with the region rightfully due. And that’s where it will be till 2031.”