…As Coalition sparks major S’East realignment
The African Democratic Congress, (ADC), has accused key officials within the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of orchestrating clandestine moves aimed at destabilising the newly-formed opposition coalition and sowing confusion within its ranks ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement issued yesterday by its Interim National Publicity Secretary and National Coalition Spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC alleged that senior federal government officials recently summoned former state chairmen and key members of its state executive committees in the North-East and North-West to a clandestine meeting aimed at coercing them into supporting a scheme to weaken the opposition bloc.
According to Abdullahi, the meeting was neither about national security nor peace-building but purely an attempt to intimidate and co-opt critical figures into betraying the coalition’s cause. “This is not politics. This is sabotage”, the statement read, describing the alleged moves as a direct threat to Nigeria’s multiparty democracy and a step towards a one-party state.
The ADC linked the reported plot to the dramatic unveiling of its new role as the main coalition platform for opposition forces on July 2, following a Coalition Declaration a day earlier that has unsettled the ruling party.
The emergence of the ADC as the rallying point for opposition parties has already begun to reshape the political landscape, particularly in the South-East. Prominent political figures from the APC, PDP, Labour Party (LP), APGA, and SDP have coalesced under the ADC banner, with influential roles assigned across the six geo-political zones.
Under the coalition’s power-sharing arrangement, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is to oversee the North-East, while ex-Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, takes charge of the North-West. Former Senate President, David Mark will coordinate the North-Central, with former Osun State governor, Ra’uf Aregbesola leading the South-West. Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi will anchor the South-South, while former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi will spearhead the South-East.
Obi’s move has triggered a swift and profound political realignment in the South-East. His influential showing in the 2023 presidential election, which buoyed Labour Party candidates to victories across the region, is now poised to strengthen the ADC’s appeal and structure. Many politicians who had stayed on the fence are now embracing the ADC to tap into Obi’s enduring grassroots popularity.
“The most interesting aspect of this coalition is Peter Obi’s membership. It signals a new era that corrects the fragmentation we saw in 2023,” said Ugo Kelechi, of the Rebuild Imo Movement (RIM), led by former Imo State governor Emeka Ihedioha.
Political analysts predict that Obi’s presence could soon attract serving governors in the region. In Abia, for instance, Governor Alex Otti, a close ally of Obi, is expected to ditch the embattled Labour Party (LP) for the ADC to counter increasing pressure from the APC, which has vowed to capture the state in 2027.
Similarly, Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah is also believed to be considering a shift to the ADC. Sources argue that the deep cracks within the PDP and Mbah’s survival during past election litigations, thanks in part to Obi’s regional influence, make a move to the ADC increasingly likely.
The realignment is already yielding visible results. Over the weekend, Emeka Ihedioha formally announced his defection from the PDP to the ADC, taking with him his influential grassroots-based Rebuild Imo Movement. He charged his supporters to spread the message across the state’s 305 wards and 27 LGAs, saying the ADC will be built into a truly people-based political force.
Against this backdrop, the ADC has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to prove his commitment to democracy by restraining elements within his government allegedly bent on subverting the opposition. The party cited former President Goodluck Jonathan’s tolerance of the opposition as the democratic standard that allowed the APC to rise to power in 2015.
“The President needs to remind his men that if the Jonathan administration were as intolerant as this, he would not be President today”, Abdullahi stated, warning that the ADC and its coalition partners will resist any attempts to hijack Nigeria’s democracy.
