![L-R: Peter Obi, Bola Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar. [Facebook/Getty Images]](https://image.api.sportal365.com/process/smp-images-production/pulse.ng/26092024/477bf8d0-fe3a-490c-a988-3e7134330f12?operations=autocrop(1042:580))
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The Presidency has reacted with scorn to the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as the central platform for a new opposition coalition ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga described the coalition as a collection of “desperados hungry for power” driven by self-interest rather than national progress.
On Wednesday, July 3, opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 flagbearer Peter Obi, and former governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, gathered at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja for the coalition’s formal launch.
Former Senate President David Mark and former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola were announced as interim National Chairman and Secretary, respectively.
In a strongly worded statement, Onanuga ridiculed the move, calling it a “charade” by politicians “desperate for political survival.”
He said, “These politicians are not in it for Nigerians—they are merely afraid of another four years in political winter.”
He criticised the relevance of several attendees, including Abubakar Malami, whom he said had exited the APC after losing his Kebbi governorship bid; and Hadi Sirika, who he noted is currently facing fraud charges.
He also slammed Aregbesola as a “renegade” expelled over anti-party actions in Osun.
Other figures such as Kashim Imam and former APC Chairman John Oyegun were described as “disillusioned” and “long detached” from ruling party affairs.
Onanuga concluded with a warning: “This is a coalition without ideology, bound only by bitterness against President Tinubu. Nigerians should not be deceived—it will collapse under the weight of conflicting ambitions.”
The ADC Coalition
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has emerged as a rallying platform for Nigeria’s fragmented opposition seeking to unite ahead of the 2027 elections.
Though the ADC has existed since 2005, its rebranding as a coalition vehicle is recent. Its formation has brought together a potent mix of former PDP, APC, and Labour Party heavyweights disillusioned with current party structures.
Interim leaders David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola bring legislative and executive experience, while political giants like Atiku, Obi, and El-Rufai aim to form a united front against the Tinubu-led APC.