It is a common saying in politics that “there is no permanent enemy, but only permanent interest.” We have seen this scenario played out recently as the likes of Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai, two opposing figures in Nigeria’s political space had to come together under the platform of African Democratic Congress (ADC) with a common interest to unseat Tinubu in 2027. Politicians can bury their differences, squabbles, and bitterness as long as they do not interfere with their interest.
The politics of 2027 is gradually shaping up. The political calculations are on. It is all about who gets what in the next general elections. People whose only occupation is politics are coming out of their shells to see what they can grab either by commission or omission come 2027.
The political space is getting charged up as politicians who are dissatisfied with the current government or fell out with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu are seriously plotting to unseat him by all means come 2027.
It was indeed a gathering of who-is-who at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. The top shots at the coalition meeting include: the Labour Party flag-bearer Peter Obi, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai, former Rivers governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Benue governor, Gabriel Suswam, and former Jigawa governor, Sule Lamido and others converged in Abuja to present the ADC as the coalition’s platform. Following the stepping aside of the National Chairperson of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, it has now paved the way for the new interim leadership of the party led by David Mark as the national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as the national secretary.
Although most of these political heavyweights have yet to take up formal ADC membership, it is believed that it is only a matter of time before they start picking up their membership.
The ADC has become a home not just to the Atiku Abubakar-led coalition to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, but also for some disgruntled politicians whose party are hitherto engulfed in one internal crisis or the other, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
President Tinubu would surely have his hands full in his bid to be re-elected. With the calibre of men and women seen at the Yar’Adua Centre, the president knows it would definitely be an uphill task for him. Of course, Tinubu is not Goodluck Jonathan, who played a gentleman politics in 2015 and lost; Tinubu would deploy every resource, arsenal, and even machinery of government such as the INEC to get re-elected. He wouldn’t want one term of 4-years in office. His political opponents and adversaries would laugh and mock the hell out of him. As president, Tinubu would surely fight back to ensure that the coalition does not see the light of the day. He once said that he likes seeing the opposition parties in disarray. He has succeeded in destabilising PDP and LP. His next target is ADC, and he can achieve this by planting molls into the party.
No doubt, ADC appears to be the choice party for a coalition because of its history of stability. Although, it has been revealed that the party is factionalised. As one of the 18 registered parties in Nigeria, ADC has been embroiled in a leadership crisis for some time now. Prior to the 2023 elections, the party suspended Mr Kachikwu over alleged anti-party activities. On the other hand, the presidential candidate said Mr Nwosu could no longer lead the party because his tenure had expired, having been in office for about 17 years. Again, the coalition group has forseen a brick wall in an attempt to register the All Democratic Alliance (ADA).
The question now is: Can this vehicle chosen by the Atiku-led coalition deliver the hopes and aspirations of millions of Nigerians? Are these individuals only interested in taking over governance in 2027?
They should be reminded that Nigerians can not be taken for granted again. The maases have learnt their lessons the hard way and therefore are ready to do what is right come 2027. They are bent on using their votes to end hunger, starvation, mass killings, dwindling economy, and youth unemployment at all cost.
The year 2027 would be such an important and interesting year we should not toy with. The need to elect the right leaders who have the capacity, experience, and qualities can not be over-emphasized. In fact, the country can not survive another four years of rot and decay as a result of bad governance.
Thus far, Tinubu’s government has been abysmally poor in all fronts – economy, security, and basic infrastructure. His ‘renewed hope’ agenda has not really given Nigerians any glimmer of hope. It’s all about rhetoric. This is why Nigerians are backing the coalition to give them something refreshing, reassuring, and enticing.
The coalition group has made it clear that what they are after is not just to unseat Tinubu in 2027 but to deliver Nigeria and indeed Nigerians from bondage. These political actors are not just unhappy with the programmes and policies of the current administration; they are also fed up with false hope and poor governance.
With the discordants tune trailing this coalition, will it see the light of the day? In a statement last Wednesday, the group of ADC members kicked against the adoption of the party by the coalition.The statement, titled: ‘ADC is not a one-man project – A response to Rauf Aregbesola’s acceptance speech,’ was signed by the national publicity secretary of the party, Musa Matara, on behalf of the ‘Concerned Stakeholders of the ADC’. Members of the group said that while they appreciated the enthusiasm with which Mr Aregbesola delivered his acceptance speech, they rejected the premise and process behind the appointment. They said the appointment lacked due process, transparency, and the broad-based legitimacy expected in a democratic political party. The group also said millions of ADC members have not been informed or carried along in this “so-called coalition,” warning that if anyone is attempting to force an opposition merger without grassroots consent, they are trampling on democratic ethics and party sovereignty.
“Our party has structures, leadership organs, youth and women wings, and constitutional guidelines—none of which were consulted or respected in the announcement of this so-called “appointment.
“Let it be known to those who are trooping into our party under this chaotic coalition arrangement that the ADC has been battling unresolved legal crises since the 2023 general elections. These matters remain in court and unresolved. Any coalition attempt built on such shaky legal ground is irresponsible and potentially self-destructive.
“We stand firmly on the side of accountable leadership, transparent decision-making, and a people-powered party structure. Any process that excludes the very people it claims to serve is undemocratic and must be challenged.
“We call on all genuine stakeholders of the ADC—across states, zones, and demographic groups—to reject this attempted takeover of our party. We are not opposed to coalitions. We are not opposed to reform. But we are opposed to hijack, to imposition, and to speeches that sound revolutionary but hide elitist intentions beneath poetic language.
“Until a legitimate, constitutionally-backed ADC National Convention or NEC confirms leadership changes, no one has the moral or legal right to speak for our party nationally,” they pointed out.
The Atiku-led coalition wouldn’t want to repeat the mistakes of 2023. If they must unseat Tinubu come 2027, they must dot the i’s and criss the t’s; they must be united at every inch of the way in their decisions and implementations. Above all, they must bury their personal ambitions and present a candidate that will resonate with Nigerians
