By Peter Omopo
Abuja | July 4, 2025 — The unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the flagship platform for a new opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections has ignited a fierce war of words among Nigeria’s political heavyweights, with the Tinubu presidency, ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), and opposition leaders exchanging accusations and scathing criticisms.
The coalition, revealed in Abuja on Wednesday, includes prominent political figures such as Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, and others. Though many of them have not formally joined the ADC, they pledged support for the movement, which is now led by Senator David Mark as interim national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as national secretary.
The platform, according to the coalition, aims to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027, citing worsening economic hardship, insecurity, and broken promises by the current administration.
Wike, ADC Trade Blows
Reacting to the development during a monthly media chat in Abuja, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike dismissed the coalition as unserious, describing it as a gathering of “recycled politicians” who failed Nigerians when they were in power.
“I heard David Mark say Nigerians are angry. He was Senate President for eight years — was anyone happy then? Now they want to ‘rescue Nigeria’?” Wike asked. “When Amaechi was transport minister, when Tambuwal was Speaker and governor — were Nigerians not angry then?”
Wike argued that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), if properly organised, stands a chance of defeating Tinubu in 2027. He added that the president is taking bold but necessary steps to fix the country, unlike the coalition members who contributed to Nigeria’s woes.
Coalition Hits Back
The ADC responded with a sharp rebuttal, accusing Wike of being “rattled” by the rising popularity of the coalition. In a statement, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi said Wike’s outburst was rooted in fear.
“If Minister Wike and the government he serves had fulfilled their promises, there would be no need for this coalition,” Abdullahi said. “It is ironic that someone who helped destroy the PDP now claims to speak for it.”
The coalition insisted it represents the will of the Nigerian people, many of whom are “disillusioned and impoverished under Tinubu’s rule.”
APC, Presidency Dismiss Coalition as “Desperate Gathering”
In a coordinated response, the APC and the presidency denounced the coalition, branding it an alliance of “serial election losers” and “self-serving politicians.”
APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka described the ADC as a “coalition of hoaxers” bent on returning to power by deceit.
“The unveiling was not the triumphant roar they promised, but a gasping whimper,” Morka said. “This is a roll call of me-or-nothing politicians who see power as a personal inheritance.”
Presidential adviser Sunday Dare, in a lengthy post on X (formerly Twitter), compared the ADC’s ambitions unfavourably with the 2013 formation of the APC, describing the new coalition as “opportunistic and hollow.”
“This is not 2013. This is not the APC,” Dare said. “No one in this coalition commands the kind of grassroots loyalty Buhari did. It’s a desperate last shot by politicians who failed their people.”
Amaechi: Only the People Can Stop Tinubu
Speaking at an unrelated event in Abuja, former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi added his voice, urging Nigerians to take charge of their political destiny.
“The only way you can stop Tinubu in 2027 is to make it a fight between Nigerians and the bandits,” Amaechi said at the Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey report launch. “You can’t sit at home and grumble. The elites know you’re suffering — but you remain helpless by choice.”
He lamented the lack of mass action in Nigeria compared to other countries where unpopular leaders were ousted through protests.
“If not for my wife, I would have left this country,” he added.
PDP Keeps Distance
Meanwhile, the PDP’s National Working Committee distanced the party from the ADC-led coalition. In a statement, the party’s spokesman Debo Ologunagba clarified that the PDP had not taken an official position on the new alliance.
This further highlights the uncertainty surrounding the makeup of the opposition’s challenge in 2027, even as discontent continues to mount across the country.
Bottom Line: With accusations flying from all directions, Nigeria’s political atmosphere is growing increasingly volatile ahead of the 2027 elections. As economic pressures mount and alliances shift, the real battle may be for the soul and trust of the Nigerian electorate.
