By Our Correspondent
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has criticised the newly formed opposition coalition spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Minister of Transport Rotimi Amaechi, describing the initiative as a desperate move by “confused politicians chasing relevance.”
In an exclusive interview with The PUNCH, APC National Vice Chairman (South-East), Dr. Ijeoma Arodiogbu, dismissed the group’s proposed party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), as “a jamboree of strange bedfellows,” driven by personal ambition rather than genuine concern for national progress.
“We are not losing sleep over a confused coalition of politicians who have serially jumped ship. Nigerians know better,” Arodiogbu stated. “They are merely power-grabbers trying to regroup after being rejected by their former political homes.”
The coalition, which also includes former Senate President David Mark and other prominent figures, submitted an application to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) last Thursday, seeking registration of ADA as a new political party. The application, obtained by The PUNCH, was signed by Chief Akin A. Rickets and Abdullahi Elayo as Protem National Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
Reacting to the development, the APC said the new party lacks credibility and direction. “They’re merely recycling old faces with no fresh ideas. The Nigerian people are not gullible. This is a coalition of convenience built around Atiku’s endless quest for the presidency,” Arodiogbu said.
He also claimed Atiku has been hesitant to fully commit to ADA due to concerns over his political future. “Atiku is afraid. He knows he might be ambushed in the new party. That’s why he is clinging to the PDP, a party that still holds some structure. He fears his life-long ambition ”
The APC chieftain further criticised the credibility of other coalition members. “What exactly are they offering Nigerians? Is it El-Rufai, whose divisive rhetoric is widely known? Or Amaechi, who is known for political opportunism? Nigerians have not forgotten.”
Dismissing speculation about a potential alliance between Labour Party’s Peter Obi and ADA, Arodiogbu said Obi is unlikely to abandon his current platform. “Obi is not leaving the Labour Party. He knows it’s his only viable platform. Just like Atiku, he’s cautious. These are politicians pretending to offer change while hiding from competition.”
He maintained that the ruling party remains unthreatened by the formation of ADA. “They’re hoping to capitalise on economic hardship, but Nigerians are seeing through them. They have no plan, no ideology—only recycled grievances. We’ve seen this movie before.”
Addressing criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Arodiogbu said the economic challenges facing the nation are the result of inherited problems, not policy failures. “Tinubu’s administration inherited a broken system. If the President hadn’t acted decisively with the current reforms, Nigeria’s economy would have collapsed. The pain Nigerians are experiencing is the pain of necessary surgery—not political failure.”
As the 2027 elections approach, political alignments continue to shift, but the APC remains confident that it will retain its dominance, insisting that the new coalition poses no real threat.
