• National leader blasts coalition planners as ‘daydreamers’
• Boss Mustapha denies opposition alliance, reaffirms loyalty to APC
• Amaechi vows support for ADC primary winner, says he can defeat Tinubu
• Fayemi’s media office denies Amaechi’s claim on founding ADC coalition
• Ohanaeze warns Igbo presidential hopefuls over 2027 bid without electoral reforms
Signs of widening cracks have continued to appear within the coalition of opposition politicians operating under the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Some of its promoters have begun exploring alternative platforms, with the latest indication of discord coming from leading figures in the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), notably Senator Ibrahim Shekarau and Dr Umar Ardo, who are reportedly considering the revival of the People’s Redemption Party (PRP).
Also, ADC National Leader and the party’s only elected National Assembly member, Leke Abejide, described politicians planning to use the party for a coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections as “daydreamers” and “selfish politicians” with no better plans for the country.
This came as hopes that the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, might join the coalition frittered away yesterday, as he distanced himself from any political alliance with opposition parties, reaffirming his loyalty to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Sources in Kano said Shekarau, the former Kano State governor, is weighing the option of reactivating the fringe Second Republic party, which twice failed to field presidential candidates.
Shekarau did not respond to messages to his GSM line, but in a statement released to the media yesterday, he argued that instead of politicians congregating on a single party platform, only a multi-party collaboration could defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress at the 2027 presidential poll.
While denying that he ever said it was impossible to defeat the APC, the former Kano Central representative in the 9th Senate maintained that a coalition that works can only be formed by established political parties, not individuals desperate for power. He stressed the need for discipline and urged like-minded opposition political parties to work together to strengthen existing platforms to achieve the common goal of supplanting the APC and its leaders.
On the shortcomings of the ADC, Shekarau went down memory lane, recalling how he joined forces in the past with other like-minded progressives to form a coalition in 2011 that, he said, succeeded in removing Dr Goodluck Jonathan from office.
He said only a similar approach, revolving around party leaders, could achieve such a feat, adding, “For the sake of clarity, I did not say the coalition could not defeat Tinubu in 2027. What I said was that a coalition of ‘individuals’ rather than parties could not.”
He noted that it was in a bid to avert the possibility of presidential ambitions clashing and defeating the merger in 2011 that aspirants on the coalescing platforms, particularly the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), met to harmonise positions.
“The late President Muhammadu Buhari, Nuhu Ribadu, and I met at Buhari’s residence in Abuja to agree on the coalition in 2011, but it did not work out. So, each of us went into the election under our respective parties.
“The experience taught valuable lessons to the concerned individuals and parties. This helped the political parties to try again in 2015, and the merger succeeded because party leaders negotiated as representatives of their political parties instead of as individual aspirants,” he stated.
Shekarau said that, unlike in the 2015 merger episode, when participating political parties sent in three representatives apiece, the current effort in the ADC has employed a different approach.
In the build-up to the 2023 poll, Shekarau defected from the APC and joined Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso briefly on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) before aligning with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This time around, the 2011 presidential candidate of the ANPP appears to be plotting a different political course in readiness for the 2027 election.
ALSO, ADC National Leader, Leke Abejide, who represents Yagba Federal Constituency of Kogi State in the House of Representatives, told reporters that the coalition forces were “unknown meddlesome interlopers who cannot even win their ward, how much more their state.”
Visibly angered, he accused the group of attempting to hijack the ADC without following due process. “There was no consultation with anyone before they came, hijacked the party and floated an interim executive to carry out their selfish agenda. Raphael Nwosu, national chairman of the party, was treacherous in handing over the party to the coalition,” he said.
According to him, the party constitution makes the National Executive Council (NEC) the highest decision-making organ, but no NEC meeting was called on the matter. “The national chairman… only informed me that some people wanted to defect into the party… not knowing they have a hidden agenda to take over the party completely from us.”
He likened the move to “a tenant who pleads to rent a house… suddenly becoming the landlord.” Abejide questioned how figures like David Mark and Tunde Ogbeha could claim leadership in a party they did not build.
“There is no vacancy for the coalition in ADC… their ambition is dead on arrival,” he declared. On his purported suspension for anti-party activities, Abejide dismissed it: “How can Kingsley Ogah, whom I brought into the party and made state chairman, singlehandedly say he suspended me when my ward has not done so?”
Boss Mustapha denies opposition alliance
REACTING to reports linking him to an alleged opposition coalition and the African Democratic Congress, former SGF, Boss Mustapha, described the claim as “fake news” and urged the public to disregard it.
“I am not in any opposition alliance, and I am not in any discussion with those who are involved,” he said in a statement he released yesterday.
Mustapha, who served from 2017 to 2023 under President Muhammadu Buhari, recalled his role as Deputy National Chairman of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), one of the legacy parties that merged to form the APC in 2013.
“As the Deputy National Chairman of the ACN, the largest political party with six governors at the time of the merger and the formation of the All Progressives Congress, I can rightly claim that I am one of the founding fathers of the governing party,” he said.
The former SGF stressed that his commitment to the APC remained steadfast, adding that internal disagreements should be addressed within the party rather than by defecting.
“I cannot, therefore, in all reasonableness, walk away from a party I helped to form. If our party has problems, as all the other parties do, we will stay in the party and fix those problems. We don’t solve problems by decamping to other parties,” he added.
He urged political actors and the public to stop associating his name with any opposition movement, reiterating that he remains firmly aligned with the APC and its ideals.
Fayemi’s media office denies Amaechi’s claim
THE media office of former Ekiti State Governor Kayode Fayemi has dismissed as false the claim allegedly made by former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi that both men founded the new African Democratic Congress coalition.
The rebuttal was contained in a statement issued yesterday by the Head of the Fayemi Media Office, Ahmad Sajoh. Sajoh said there was no credible evidence, including videos or reputable media reports, to suggest Amaechi made the claim. He described the report as “possibly fabricated or misquoted” and cautioned the public against social media-driven misinformation.
According to him, Fayemi remains a committed leader of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State and has publicly endorsed Governor Biodun Oyebanji for re-election on the party’s ticket. He noted that while Fayemi continues to engage in cross-party conversations on national development, such engagement does not amount to defection from the APC.
Sajoh attributed speculation about Fayemi’s political loyalty to his reduced public profile due to academic commitments at King’s College London and work at the Amandla Institute, but stressed that he remains active in APC leadership caucus meetings in Ekiti.
“Despite efforts to verify this statement, which has gained traction on social and digital media, we have found no credible evidence to support it. No video of Amaechi making these claims or reports from reputable media organisations has been located.
“In an era where fabricated or distorted statements are often attributed to public figures for malicious purposes, we are cautious about engaging with potentially manufactured controversies designed to provoke or profit. It is possible that Amaechi did not make the statement or was misquoted.
“We unequivocally state that these claims lack any basis. Dr Fayemi remains a committed member and leader of the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State,” he said.
Sajoh added that Fayemi has “at various public forums in Ekiti and other places consistently affirmed his dedication to the APC, working to address its challenges and advance its progressive ideals for Nigeria.”
“Furthermore, Dr Fayemi has publicly endorsed His Excellency Biodun Oyebanji, Governor of Ekiti State, for re-election, clearly supporting his candidacy for the APC gubernatorial ticket. This underscores his loyalty to the APC. We urge the public to treat any news concerning Fayemi with caution, particularly when it originates solely from social media,” he added.
Lagos APC dismisses Amaechi’s claim of defeating Tinubu
ALSO, the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has rejected former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi’s claim that he could defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if given the presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress.
In a statement issued yesterday by its publicity secretary, Mogaji Seye Oladejo, the party described Amaechi’s remarks as “the desperate rant of a political relic struggling to stay relevant,” insisting he lacked the pedigree, political structure and national appeal to challenge Tinubu.
“The idea that he could unseat a sitting president, elected by a clear majority and respected across geopolitical zones, using a fringe party like the ADC is laughable at best and pitiful at worst,” the statement read.
The Lagos APC accused Amaechi of political inconsistency and alleged that he failed to deliver his polling unit in the last election. It also dismissed his claim of knowing Tinubu’s “weaknesses” as bitterness rooted in “a chequered political career.”
“While President Tinubu has built leaders, institutions, and a legacy of performance, Amaechi’s name has become synonymous with political infighting, disloyalty, and personal ambition at the expense of collective progress,” the statement added.
Amaechi vows support for ADC primary winner
FORMER Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has pledged to support only a presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress who emerges through a free and fair primary election.
Amaechi made the remark during an X Space session tagged Weekend Politics. “In a free and fair primary, whoever wins will have my full support. I will be deeply devoted to the campaign and will do everything in my ability to help ADC unseat this current clueless government,” he said.
The former Rivers State governor, however, added that if he wins the coalition’s primary, he will defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential poll.
“I tell you, I’ve not had an election against Tinubu. I know Tinubu very well. I know his strengths. I know his weaknesses. And I know that if allowed to fly the flag of ADC, I will defeat Tinubu for sure,” he stated.
Amaechi stressed that he had never engaged in election rigging and had declined to serve on the All Progressives Congress election planning committees.
“I challenge any politician, living or dead, to come forward and say I was part of rigging,” he said. “In fact, all the appointments given to me by APC to join election planning committees, I have refused to participate. There was no one I participated in. Why? Because I know what they discuss. I listen to them. I hear them. If I get the ticket, I will reveal those things.”
According to him, “They will bring governors. They will go to government agencies and get money, but the rest, I don’t want to say it until I win primaries.”
“I will never participate in any rigging whatsoever, and I will not do it. What I promise to do now, going forward, is to stop rigging,” he added.
Amaechi also said he would only apologise if there was proof of wrongdoing. “I challenge any Nigerian to produce evidence that I participated in any election rigging, and I will apologise for that,” he declared.
Ohanaeze warns Igbo presidential hopefuls over 2027 bid without electoral reforms
THE apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has warned that without comprehensive electoral reforms, defeating President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election would be extremely difficult.
In a statement issued yesterday in Abakaliki, the Deputy National President of Ohanaeze, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process had been “demonstrably weakened” and that systemic loopholes within the Independent National Electoral Commission could not be ignored.
He urged the National Assembly to urgently review the electoral system to prevent it from creating “an environment ripe for exploitation by those seeking to maintain power, thereby jeopardising the prospects of a fair and credible election.”
“Against this backdrop, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, acting in the best interests of Ndigbo, feels obliged to issue this poignant advisory that any Igbo individual considering a presidential bid in 2027 must, therefore, recognise the inherent limitations of the current environment,” he said.
According to Isiguzoro, aspiring candidates risk wasting resources and undermining the political fortunes of both the South-East and the nation if they proceed without reforms. “Engaging in a contest under these conditions, without significant electoral reforms, may prove a costly and ultimately futile endeavour,” he warned.
The statement stressed that prevailing realities required “an honest and unflinching assessment” of the political landscape. Ohanaeze said the vulnerabilities in the electoral system, coupled with current political dynamics, posed a “significant impediment” to any opposition candidate.
The group expressed concern over INEC’s proposed reliance on manual result processing and “the potential abandonment of the electronically transmitted results… to the INEC portal.” Isiguzoro said such a shift “would disproportionately favour those with the means and motive to manipulate the process, ultimately disenfranchising a significant portion of the electorate and discouraging meaningful participation.”
While acknowledging the constitutional rights of citizens to contest elections, Ohanaeze advised prospective Igbo presidential aspirants to re-evaluate their ambitions and instead prioritise pressing regional challenges such as insecurity and economic revitalisation.
“The potential consequences of supporting an Igbo candidate who cannot defeat the incumbent President are significant,” the statement said, warning that a failed bid could expose Igbo businesses, particularly in Lagos and other major economic hubs, to vulnerabilities.
“In the interest of safeguarding our collective future, Ohanaeze Ndigbo advises that Ndigbo may not field any Igbo presidential candidate if there are no electoral reforms,” it concluded.
