The Presiding Bishop of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Dr. Mike Okonkwo, has warned that the coalition of opposition politicians under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) will fail if its primary objective is to grab power for personal gain rather than addressing Nigeria’s deep-seated socio-economic and political challenges.
Speaking in an interview with New Telegraph on Thursday, Bishop Okonkwo said the coalition would only succeed if its members are united by genuine concern for national development and not driven by ego or self-interest.
The coalition includes notable political figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi; former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai; and former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi.
He warned that any attempt to use the coalition purely as a political vehicle to oust President Bola Tinubu without a credible alternative plan would be futile.
According to Okonkwo, “Unless they are truthful and have the interest of Nigeria at heart, they are wasting time. From what is circulating in the media, it appears the whole agenda is simply to remove Tinubu. But why remove him if your motivation isn’t truly about Nigeria’s well-being?”
He called on the coalition to present a competent and credible presidential candidate, emphasizing that Peter Obi is the only aspirant in the group with the capacity to give Tinubu a strong challenge.
“I am not a tribalist, and I know I risk being labelled one, but the truth is that Obi is the only one among them who can give Tinubu a run for his money. Nationally, he’s the most respected politician,” he said.
Bishop Okonkwo stressed that the selection of the coalition’s flag bearer should not be based on ethnic or regional considerations but on competence, accountability, transparency, and a clean record of public service.
He also criticized the inconsistency and frequent defection of politicians in the coalition, describing many of them as “serial defectors” who had contributed to the problems they now claim to want to solve.
He added: “Let’s be real. These same people have been jumping from the APC to the PDP and now want to form a coalition. The problems didn’t start with Tinubu. Many of them were in positions of power and did nothing.”
Okonkwo acknowledged that while President Tinubu inherited a troubled economy, his administration had taken bold albeit painful steps to address lingering issues, including the removal of the petrol subsidy.
He further lamented the non-implementation of key national reform recommendations, such as those of the 2014 National Conference, which he believes could have addressed many of the country’s challenges.
He concluded that for the coalition to succeed, its leaders must be honest, selfless, and focused on building a better Nigeria.
“If they are not willing to be sincere and say, ‘time has come to truly solve Nigeria’s problems,’ then they have already failed before they even began,” he said.
