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APC VS ADC: LET THE BATTLE BEGIN
The latest news that the leaders of the opposition coalition movement have adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the political platform to contest the 2027 presidential election against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) really gladdens my heart. As a student of political history, I strongly believe that any democracy without a strong, virile and credible opposition is akin to a dictatorship. A ruling party should co-exist with a vibrant opposition that offers constructive criticisms and provides an alternative for the people in any election cycle. The APC played that role very well between 2013 and 2015. With Lai Mohammed as its spokesman, it gave the then-ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and President Goodluck Jonathan a very tough time, which eventually culminated in the party’s defeat in the 2015 general elections and the APC’s ascendancy as Nigeria’s ruling party.
However, since 2015, it appears Nigeria has been operating a one-party system without any opposition. Shocked by its defeat after the vaunted boast that it would rule Nigeria for 60 years, the PDP, which became Nigeria’s major opposition party, could not put its house in order and checkmate the APC till now. Since 2015, the PDP has been plunged into multiple crises, and there is no end in sight given what transpired at its recent parallel NEC meetings. The Labour Party (LP), on its part, put up an impressive performance in the last general election, and many thought it had upstaged the PDP as Nigeria’s main opposition party. However, defections by its elected lawmakers and infighting by factional party executives have really put the party in a terrible state ahead of future elections.
When all hope seemed lost and some have even claimed that there is no formidable party to challenge the APC and President Bola Tinubu in 2027, the opposition leaders rallied together and decided that it would give the ruling party a tough fight. After a series of meetings between the coalition leaders, the ADC was adopted as the platform, and former Senate President David Mark was announced as the national chairman of the party. A one-time loyalist of the president, Rauf Aregbesola, who many believe knows everything about the strategies of President Tinubu, was announced as the national secretary.
A closer look at the personalities that converged on the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, venue of the unveiling of the ADC, is enough to send shivers down the spine of supporters of the ruling party. If they had been nurturing the idea that the coming general election would be a walkover, then they must be living in cloud-cuckoo land. A coalition filled with heavyweights and notable personalities like Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, David Mark, Nasir el-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Rauf Aregbesola, Ralph Nwosu, John Odigie-Oyegun, Abubakar Malami, Emeka Ihedioha, Aminu Tambuwal, Ireti Kingibe, Uche Secondus, Dele Momodu and others too numerous to mention is not one that any reasonable person in APC will just dismiss with a wave of the hand. Indeed, interesting days lie ahead. The battle for 2027 has begun in earnest.
[b]May the ADC succeed. Let it match the APC in all aspects – shoulder to shoulder, fire for fire, money for money and strategy by strategy. Let the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conduct a credible presidential election in 2017, and let the best party win. As a nation, we can’t make any headway when we have multiple mushroom political parties with scattered votes during presidential elections. Let other political parties, including the ailing PDP, queue behind the APC or ADC. Two strong political parties are best for the type of democracy we practice in Nigeria, even though other political parties can also exist and win elections at the ward, state or regional levels. Two formidable political parties, one as the ruling and the other as the opposition, will give Nigerians the opportunity to have an alternative by voting out any non-performing government, just like it is done in the United States with the Republican and Democratic parties and the Conservative and Labour parties in the United Kingdom. The best election ever conducted in Nigeria’s history, the June 12 presidential election was held at a time Nigeria had just two political parties – the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the National Republican Convention (NRC).[/b]It is expected that the ruling APC and its appointees will not fold their hands and allow the opposition to kick them out of office. If they have been taking Nigerians for granted, maybe this will make them change their ways and do their utmost in delivering the gains of democracy to Nigerians. I implore the federal government not to do anything to harass, intimidate or terrorise the leaders of the ADC with security or anti-graft agencies. Aregbesola left office, first as governor in 2018 and then as minister in 2023. I don’t want to hear now that the EFCC or ICPC want to probe him or investigate any petition written by some unscrupulous elements. Any probe or arrest of the coalition leaders now will be seen as victimisation by Nigerians and may give them sympathy votes in the forthcoming general elections.
President Tinubu should also strive his best to ensure any appointee by him to replace outgoing INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, is a credible person, a man of exemplary moral rectitude who will be an unbiased umpire and one who will insist on conducting a free, fair and credible election that will surpass the record set by the June 12, 1993 presidential election. I remembered former President Goodluck Jonathan was under tremendous pressure to appoint a party man, especially from the southern part of the country, as INEC chairman. He, however, went for a technocrat and appointed a northerner, Prof. Attahiru Jega, a vocal and ubiquitous former president of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), in June 2010. Jonathan lost the election, but many Nigerians were satisfied with the election conducted by Jega. I’m not sure that can be said of the outgoing INEC chairman.
Lastly, the coalition leaders have started on the right footing by adopting ADC as the political party to slug it out with the APC in 2027. I listened to an analyst rubbishing them for not forming a new political party but adopting an existing one. What difference does it make? The hood does not make the monk. What is the gain if you form a new political party like ‘ADA’ and there are no notable personalities in the party?
The next hurdle to cross is to determine the region to produce their presidential flagbearer. Being an amalgamation of diverse interests, disagreements will occur, but they should strive their best to manage their affairs well and not give the APC any reason to mock them. Also, the agenda should not be about power grabbing or uniting to get Tinubu out at all costs, but to provide a better alternative in terms of good governance to Nigerians.
The stakeholders, especially those nursing presidential ambitions, should bury their selfish interests and put the party and the country first. They should also be democratic in all their dealings and, above all, avoid fifth columnists who will infiltrate the party to leak their secrets to the opposing camp. Once again, congratulations to the coalition leaders on achieving this feat despite many challenges. Let the battle begin.
Akinsuyi, former group politics editor of Daily Independent, writes from the United Kingdom. He can be reached at shabydayo@gmail.com.
