… hollow alliance of disgruntled politicians

The Presidency has mocked the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as a hollow alliance of disgruntled politicians. The Presidency also dismissed the comparisons between the ADC and the 2023 merger that birthed the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, describing it as a desperate and self-serving power grab.

Reacting to the recent unveiling of the ADC-led coalition, the Presidency, through the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, described its promoters as political “desperados” driven not by ideology or national interest but by personal ambition and bitterness towards President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement posted on his verified X handle (@SunsayDareSD), Dare stated that most of the figures now aligning with the ADC had long distanced themselves from the APC, some even before the 2023 general elections.

He wrote: “Rotimi Amaechi’s soul left the APC in 2022 after he lost the presidential primary to President Tinubu. “Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General, has also not hidden his detachment from the APC since the President emerged, especially after his failed bid to govern Kebbi State.”

He further stated that for mer Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, now part of the ADC bloc, is facing trial over allegations of contract splitting and abuse of office. Similarly, ex-Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who was expelled from the APC for anti-party activities during the last gubernatorial election in the state, has also found refuge in the coalition.

Other notable defectors include Kashim Imam, who reportedly withdrew from the APC after failing to clinch the vice-presidential slot in 2022, and Chief John Odigie Oyegun, a former APC National Chairman, who has long distanced himself from the party and has been a key figure in the opposition’s regrouping efforts.

Onanuga said: “These are not people of principle or vision. They are desperate men and women who cannot bear political obscurity.

“Their only bond is animos ity towards President Tinubu, not a shared ideology or developmental blueprint for the country.” He warned that the ADC coalition lacks both structure and substance, insisting that it would collapse under the weight of its members’ conflicting ambitions.