Premium News
DEFECTIONS TO ADC AND THE END OF PDP AS CREDIBLE OPPOSITION, BY GRACE KANAYO
Since the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as a coalition, notable politicians have been defecting to it ahead of the 2027 general elections. PAUL OKAH in this report wonders if these defections mark the end of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the emergence of a more credible opposition.
Recently, no single day passes without the news of one popular politician or the other defecting to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), ahead of the 2027 general elections.
While many of the politicians cite internal wrangling within the opposition PDP or whatever party they hitherto belonged to for their decision to jump ships, others claim they made the move to join the ADC “after careful considerations and consultations with their constituents” before arriving at the decision.
However, the rank of the PDP is being daily depleted as a major opposition party as many notable politicians have abandoned the once ruling and major opposition party for the “new sheriff in town”; either in a bid to unseat the APC or for their selfish ambitions.
It’s business as usual
Speaking with Blueprint Weekend, a political analyst, Richard Ojoma, said those defecting to the ADC are merely working for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. According to them, they can’t present a united front as a credible opposition because of greed and selfishness.
He said, “The defections to the ADC are just business as usual for opposition politicians. The defectors are those we already know very well. They defect during every election period for one reason or the other, losing credibility along the way. They have nothing to offer to Nigerians, besides their inordinate ambition to get to power and amass wealth. They’re so desperate that they can tell any lie to convince gullible Nigerians to vote for them in the 2027 general elections.
“Someone like Mr. Peter Obi has been in APGA, PDP, and the LP, and now in ADC. Believe me, he’ll soon leave the ADC for another party. I had expected Obi to stick to the LP that gave him such a large followership and popularity in the 2023 general elections. He sincerely miscalculated by joining the ADC in the quest to become president in 2027; this is because, in all honesty, he won’t get the ticket, with Atiku Abubakar also taking another shot at the presidency.”
Continuing, Ojoma said, “By the way, Atiku himself has been in the PDP, APC, back to PDP and now in ADC. Is that how to be a credible opposition? That’s the hallmark of desperation because it doesn’t portray someone who has patience or who can grow any platform. Atiku single-handedly destroyed the PDP with his perennial presidential ambition. Now, he has brought the same greed to the ADC, which is heading for self implosion because of too many vested interests.
This may be of interest to you!
exness.com
by TaboolaSponsored Links
“I don’t want to talk about other politicians who are a collection of ungrateful people as many of the defectors have been with the APC for years and held juicy positions in the past administration. But now they are against the party for no reason other than ungratefulness and greed. There’s nothing about them that can convince well-meaning Nigerians that they mean well for the country. In a nutshell, they’re all working for Tinubu’s re-election because they can’t even pose a threat to him as an opposition in 2027.”
Similarly, a businessman based in Abuja, Chibuike Mmadu, said the PDP is no longer a credible opposition, even as he prophesied the ADC can not unseat Tinubu in 2027 as a result of many factors.
“The straightforward answer is that the PDP is dead and gone, which is quite unfortunate as it was once a formidable political party. The PDP held sway in power for about 16 years, before it was upstaged by Tinubu’s APC in 2015, thanks to carelessness of the party bigwigs. A once formidable political party in Africa is now playing catch-up with the Labour Party, not even the ruling APC.
“Those in the PDP today are just a few governors and National Assembly members, who are making calculations ahead of the 2027 elections. Many will still defect to the ADC in the coming days; so it’s just a matter of where their interests lie. Disappointingly, the PDP is no longer the credible opposition many people looked up to. The party is now a shadow of itself because of many factors,” he said.
He said further that, I”It is a tall order to unseat Tinubu and the APC in the 2027 elections. The ADC, as presently constituted, lacks what it takes to unseat Tinubu and the APC in 2027. Perhaps, if they give Peter Obi the presidential ticket, they may have a say, but it’s already ‘an own’ goal to consider a serial loser like Atiku as their presidential candidate. The coalition or party will implode just like the PDP. The selfishness and greed of Atiku is the beginning of the end of any political party to which he belongs.”
Obi, a factor?
Also speaking, a scholar in Lagos state, Jacinta Oyelade, told this reporter that the only way the ADC can make an impact in 2027 is if Peter Obi becomes the presidential candidate.
She said, “To be honest, the PDP is no longer a credible opposition because notable individuals in the party have defected to the ADC or the ruling APC. So, the party is practically dead. The momentum is now with the ADC, which is gearing up to test its might against Tinubu and the ruling APC in 2027.
“Be that as it may, the only way the ADC can overcome the APC in 2027 is if it adopts Peter Obi as its presidential candidate and a notable northerner as running mate, just like the Labour Party did in 2023. Anything other than that will be asking for trouble or preparing to hand over victory to Tinubu on a platter of gold. Obi is about the most credible politician among the defectors to the ADC.
“2027 will really be interesting as a result of many factors. While Tinubu and other APC stalwarts will be working for re-election, ADC will be hoping to spoil the party. Ultimately, it will boil down to Nigerians voting for Tinubu or whoever the ADC will present as its presidential candidate. But one thing is for sure, if Obi does not get the ADC ticket, the election will be a foregone conclusion for Tinubu. Let’s leave it at that because Obi is a crucial factor.”
ADC a more credible opposition?
On his part, a public affairs commentator, Yahaya Musa, said the ADC is a more credible opposition than the PDP and can unseat the APC in 2027 if the coalition members mean business.
He said, “Forget the bravado, many APC governors are having sleepless nights because of the ADC. Nobody saw it coming. Just like the APC was formed by disgruntled politicians in 2014 to wrest power from the PDP, the ADC is heading in the same direction. The party has what it takes to unseat the APC in 2027 if care is not taken.
“This is because the majority of the coalition members are either from the ruling APC or opposition PDP. They’re all experienced in the political game and will really give the APC a run for their money in 2027. They’re that smart as they are making the right political moves. On a daily basis, defectors are welcomed into the coalition to show how serious they are. Almost any popular politician you know is now in the ADC; so it’s a better credible opposition than the PDP, which can be said to be dead at this time.
“However, my major worry about the ADC defectors is the inability to agree on a particular person as the presidential candidate. It may be a problem if any chosen person is not supported by the others. Almost all the major defectors are nursing presidential ambition, including Atiku, Obi, Amaechi, el-Rufai. However, if one of the aforementioned emerges and is roundly supported, there’s a big chance that the ADC will upset the apple cart in 2027. You never can tell, so we’ll keep our fingers crossed.”
