The floating of a new political coalition under the umbrella of African Democratic Congress (ADC), aimed at toppling the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its pain and suffering in the forthcoming 2027 general elections portends good at face value. As a matter of fact, the masses of Nigerians would welcome any party that could be used to remove the APC from power and end the unprecedented hardship in the country.
That being the case, there is doubt and reservations as to whether the ADC could positively and patriotically bring the needed change if it comes to power. How sincere is the ADC? The doubt arises out of past failures of similar coalition effort. In other words, the ADC coalition party is not the first of its kind presented to Nigerians ahead of an impending election. It is not the first time such a coalition emerged with critical social and economic changes it intends to effect in the country. The hope of beleaguered and weary Nigerians has been raised and dashed in the past.
When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) birthed in 1998 in the wake of the 1999 general elections that ushered in the civilian democratic government, there was no much noise as the elections were being managed by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, a military junta. People were afraid and not sure whether the transition would sail through. Many politicians did not show up. The few that mustered courage to contest won the elections on a platter of gold. The PDP became the dominant party at the time. It won all the presidential elections between 1999 and 2011. The other parties merely participated in elections with slim hope of winning.
But as years rolled by, things began to dwindle. The cost of living began to rise. A bag of 50kg rice jumped from N8,500 to N9,500. In January 2012, the pump price of petrol rose to N141 per litre after the purported removal of fuel subsidy by President Goodluck Jonathan. There was outrage in the country. A massive protest erupted and government was forced to reduce the price to N97. But that did not assuage public anger. It was these and other uncomfortable conditions that fired the move to boot out the PDP from power.
By February 2013, a number of opposition political parties joined forces to form a coalition with the singular aim to create a strong opposition party to dislodge the ruling PDP in the 2015 general elections. That was the first coalition formed in this political dispensation. The coalition received approval from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The opposition parties that formed the coalition included Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a breakaway faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and a faction of the then ruling party christened the New PDP. The coalition gave birth to the APC that challenged the PDP and won the 2015 elections under Muhammadu Buhari. The incumbent president Goodluck Jonathan was booted out and that marked the fall of the PDP. That was the first time the opposition defeated the ruling incumbent party in Nigeria. So, there is a precedent.
President Muhamadu Buhari came to power on the platform of the emergent APC in 2015. There was high hope among the populace that Buhari, who had been canonized as a man of integrity would effect CHANGE. As a matter of fact, the APC came on the mantra of CHANGE, and as it were, Nigerians expected CHANGE but all that was a mirage.
Barely a year after APC assumed power, the mist covering the CHANGE mantra began to clear just as the much vaunted Buhari integrity. It began to clear that what the APC wanted was to grab power and not to bring the much-needed CHANGE. The APC chieftains began to wield power and assume larger than life status. The welfare of Nigerians that was being lamented under the PDP was neglected even as the cost of living rose sharply beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
From N97 per litre, patrol pump price increased steadily until it skyrocketed to over N1500 soon after President Bola Tinubu assumed power on May 29, 2023. That shock of unprecedented fuel price increase triggered the price rise of every consumable. A bag of 50kg rice that sold for N9,500 jumped to N100,0 00. The naira exchange rate that stood around N190 under the PDP rose to over N1, 500.
Everything from transport to house rent, school fees, medication, food, and clothing went up. As the situation deteriorated, Nigerians found themselves locked up in despair. How to get out of the unfortunate predicament is the preoccupation of the masses of Nigerians. It is against this backdrop that another coalition is being launched to do what APC did in 2015.This time around, APC is the target.
As it was in 2013, a number of opposition parties have joined forces again to form a coalition to challenge the APC in the forth coming 2027 elections. They are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP). Others are Young Progressives Party (YPP), Zenith Labor Party (ZLP) and Peoples Allied Party (PAP). The Labor Party (LP) is reportedly still considering joining the coalition depending on whether or not Peter Obi would be the flag bearer of the coalition. It is being speculated that with the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as the arrowhead of the coalition, he may not let Peter Obi of the Labor Party to be the flag bearer. If that happens, the coalition may have problem since the Obedient Movement will not allow Peter Obi, their flag bearer, to play a second fiddle as vice to Atiku or any other person. For the Obedients, it is either Peter Obi as the flag bearer or no one else.
It is important to note that the same politicians that joined forces to form the coalition that gave birth to APC in 2013 are the same people flucking to form another coalition. The question to ask is how the APC dealt with Nigerians since 2015? What happened to the CHANGE mantra APC used to sell themselves to Nigerians? Why did the APC disappoint Nigerians so badly that it is rated as the worst administration to govern Nigeria since independence? Nigerians have gone through military administrations, there was none that made life so unbearable like the APC!
At this juncture, it is pertinent to ask what agenda is the new coalition coming up with? What plan do they have for suffering Nigerians? Or is their aim just to grab power? What is the ideology of the coalition? These posers are warranted as the coalition is made up of different parties with different goals. Having anchored under the ADC platform, which is an existing registered party, how is the ADC going to merge the different party ideologies (if any?)
Some notable figures behind the ADC include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, former chairman PDP Uche Secondus, former Kaduna state Governor Nasir El Rufai, among many others. Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Labor Party is still under consideration. The goal of the coalition is reportedly to liberate Nigerian people, and unsent President Bola Tinubu. The formation of the coalition is seen as a positive development in Nigeria, thereby disproving the speculation that the country is turning to a one party state.
Across the civilized world, progress is made when there is rapport and understanding between the people and their leaders. There can be no progress when the leaders and the people are heading in opposite directions. Since independence, progress has eluded Nigeria because the leaders are selfish and the people are abandoned.
Dr. Onyekakeyah, former member of The Guardian Editorial Board is a Public Affairs Commentator and a Daily Query columnist.
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