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•Discloses whoever emerges presidential candidate will get massive support, coalition won’t stand on anybody’s mandate

•Tinubu planning clampdown on opposition leaders, Abdullahi raises the alarm  

•Coalition dead on arrival, declares ACF spokesman

•ADC takes over factional PDP, APC, LP structures in Benue

Chuks Okocha in Abuja and George Okoh in Makurdi

One of the leaders of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mallam Salihu Lukman, has said the opposition coalition would avoid mistakes made in the past election by both former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, among others willing to contest the ticket of the party.

Lukman spoke when he appeared on a Channels TV programme. He hinted that whoever would fly the flag of the coalition in 2027 election must earn it by winning at the primary election.

Lukman appealed to supporters of the various presidential aspirants to join hands with the coalition to rescue Nigeria.

Relatedly, National Publicity Secretary of ADC, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, condemned a tweet by a presidential aide, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, which alleged that the opposition was planning to overthrow the Tinubu government before 2027.

Abdullahi said the allegation was part of plans by the Tinubu government to clamp down on the opposition.

But Publicity Secretary of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Professor Tukur Mohammed-Baba, described the brewing crisis within ADC as unsurprising, warning that the coalition may risk failure if it continues to focus on personalities rather than presenting a clear ideological and policy-driven agenda.

Meanwhile, ADC had taken over the structures of the factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), LP, and All Progressives Congress(APC) in Benue State.

Lukman, a former National Vice Chairman of the ruling APC, said, “Once the opposition leaders are divided, if by 2027 we present more than one candidate, it’s as much as granting victory to APC and President Asiwaju.

“So as much as possible, we must keep the opposition together, and in keeping the opposition together, it’s not about asking anybody to step down.

“I appeal to the Obedients and other groups, to really understand that the ADC and the coalition is the home for them. And they should come and let’s build ourselves together.

“If Peter Obi emerges the presidential candidate of ADC, we will all support him and strengthen him to overcome the shortcomings of the past.

“So also, any other, if it is Atiku Abubakar that emerges, for instance, we will support him and strengthen him in such a way that he doesn’t repeat the mistake of former President Buhari.

“So, I think these are issues, which, as citizens, as Nigerians, we must be very honest and frank in engaging them if we are going to move this country forward. This is the kind of debate we want to have in ADC. Everybody will slug it out in the presidential primary, apparently.”

The Kaduna-born politician said the debate within ADC and within the coalition would factor all and ensure that the issue of equity was properly taken care of and addressed in a way that Nigerians would see there was a new party, which respected the interests of every party member and accommodated everyone.

Lukman, however, declared that there was no discussion about presidential candidates in the coalition at the moment.

He stated, “Let me be very clear on this, there is no discussion about the question of presidential candidate in the coalition up to this moment. And our position is, basically whoever, and that is the first test of whether we’ll be different from the existing parties or not, whoever will be the candidate of the ADC must win the primary.

“It’s the first test of whether those aspiring are, in the first place, democrats or not. And this is the issue we are engaging all of them. And the other test, which we are putting to all of them is that their ambition must go beyond their personal expectation. It has to factor the reality facing the country.”

Tinubu’s Laying Foundation to Clampdown on Opposition Leaders, ADC Raises Alarm

The ADC leadership condemned a recent tweet by a presidential, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, which alleged that the opposition was planning to overthrow the Tinubu government before 2027.

The party said that was part of a grand plot to start clamping down on opposition leaders.

‘’While we consider this tweet as reckless and malicious, we also believe it is a lot more than that. If anything, it potentially lays the grounds for systematic clampdown on opposition leaders,’’ Abdullahi said.

He warned that such reckless and unsubstantiated claim signalled a broader campaign of intimidation and repression against political opposition leaders by the Tinubu administration.

Abdullahi, in a statement, wrote, ‘’Bayo Onanuga’s tweet is a textbook example of a political dog whistle. The APC-led federal government appears to be constructing a false narrative that is designed to justify potential clampdown on dissent, and to criminalise legitimate opposition activity under the guise of national security.

‘’The ADC is not interested in truncating democracy; we are solely committed to saving the nation from the irredeemable incompetence of this government. And the only means available to us is the democratic means. We are not soldiers, we are politicians.

“We don’t have bullets; we only have the ballots. When the time comes, we will only present our solutions and an alternative vision of the future to the Nigerian people and leave them to make their choice.

‘’We are left to wonder why the APC government is so jittery that it is so eager to betray its own heritage. APC is the first opposition party to come to power in Nigeria. It is therefore a great wonder that the same party now appears to find it strange that there is an opposition at all.

‘’We, therefore, call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to promptly caution his aides from further baseless but dangerous allegations that have the potential to heat up the system even two years ahead of the next election. This manner of crying wolf where there is none does not make the president look good and only betrays a sense of panic.”

Abdullahi stated, “We also call on the Nigerian people to be vigilant and discerning, and to reject the underhand tactics being deployed to delegitimise the opposition and silence alternative voices. The health of our democracy depends on a free, open, and competitive political environment.

“We urge the international community, democratic governments all over the world, international observers, and human rights organisations, to closely monitor the unfolding political environment in Nigeria.

“We call on them to hold the Tinubu administration accountable for any actions that undermine democratic freedoms or violate the political rights of Nigerian citizens.

“The ADC remains committed to building a better Nigeria, through peace, participation, and the power of the people.”

ACF Spokesman: Coalition Dead on Arrival

Publicity Secretary of Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Professor Tukur Mohammed-Baba, said the crisis in ADC was expected.

Mohammed-Baba warned that the coalition risked failure if it continued to focus on personalities rather than presenting a clear ideological and policy-driven agenda.

Speaking in an interview on ARISE News, Mohammed-Baba said the turbulence rocking the coalition, as well as allegations of infiltration by the ruling APC were in line with Nigeria’s political history.

He said, “Things are still unfolding. We are not sure. This is just the beginning. There is a lot more to come, but it’s not surprising given the nature of our politics and the nature of the persons and personalities allegedly behind the coalition. This is expected.”

Mohammed-Baba stated that Nigeria’s political history had been marked by shifting alliances and fragile coalitions, citing examples from the First Republic to more recent attempts in 2011, 2015, and 2023.

According to him, “Coalitions are not new in our country. Some have succeeded, others have failed. For the last few months, some of the key promoters of this coalition have been jumping from one party to another.

“In fact, if you take any of the individuals prominent in the coalition, you will see they have moved from parties to parties over the last maybe 16 years. So it’s not surprising.”

The ACF spokesman also addressed allegations that APC was actively working to destabilise the coalition from within by coercing members to abandon it, particularly in the North-east and North-west regions.

He said, “If you are talking of this coercion to get people to either drop their ambitions or go to the APC, it’s been going on in various forms. For the last year, people have been coerced to leave their parties. That is part of it.

“I have spoken to people who said the party is dead on arrival because the ruling party will pull out all the stops to ensure that disarray and conflict engulf the new coalition.”

He added, however, that some supporters of the coalition remained determined to press on despite the challenges.

“I have also spoken to others who are very confident, people who are pro-coalition. They are just as determined to ensure that they weather the storms. So you and I are probably jumping the gun. Things are unfolding.” Mohammed-Baba stated.

He warned that the coalition’s focus on political figures rather than substantive policy proposals was disappointing and risked alienating voters.

Mohammed-Baba said, “My reading for now, given the little evidence we have from the coalition, is that to me personally it’s a bit of a disappointment. I have not seen a coherent statement of what they intend to do.

“The emphasis on personalities—who is going to be president, who will be senate president or secretary to the federal government—gives me a sense of déjà vu. We are going back to square one.

“If it is all about personalities, I think they are dead on arrival. If they can present a coherent policy programme and tell us how to restore national institutions, revitalise the economy, and promote inclusion, then maybe they can stand. But for now, I don’t see anything.”

Lamenting the absence of ideological clarity in Nigeria’s political parties, he said, “Probably what is disappointing is that up to now we are talking of personalities. Nobody is talking of ideology.

“All the parties in Nigeria, nearly all of them, maybe one or two exceptions, share the same ideology: liberal democracy and neoliberal economic policies. There isn’t much difference.”

On the debate over the region from which a presidential candidate should emerge, Mohammed-Baba rejected the idea that regional origins should matter, calling instead for a focus on leadership quality and national development.

He said, “I don’t care where the candidate comes from. We are wasting too much time and energy not allowing democracy to take root by insisting that a presidential candidate must come from one region or another. I would prefer that we go for the very best who has an agenda for a united, strong, economically viable Nigeria.”

ADC Takes over PDP, APC, LP Factional Structures in Benue

ADC took over the structures of PDP, LP and APC factions, as they joined the party in Makurdi, the Benue State capital, recenty.

At the event, members of PDP, LP and APC declared their full support for ADC.

Former Speaker pro tempore, Hon Terngu Tsegba, was nominated interim chairman of the party.

Tsegba, who was a three-term House of Representatives member, alongside former governor of Benue State, Dr Gabriel Suswam and erstwhile Senator for Benue North West, Emmanuel Orker-Jev, officially led members of PDP to ADC during the official launch of the coalition.

Two former Senate Presidents from Benue State, Senator Iyorchia Ayu and Senator David Mark, were also represented. The party took over the PDP secretariat at Ochagwu Lawani Street, Old GRA, Makurdi.

According to Suswam the interim state executive council of seven members “was for the purpose of registration only”, adding, “For every local government, we are electing two women and five men.”

He explained, “The ADC constitution has 38 positions and for now, there will be five exco members per council ward and the tenure of the interim exco is going to last for 30 days after which they stand dissolved.”

In his acceptance speech, Tsegha said the first action of ADC, if voted into power, would be the scrapping of the bureaus and ministries of local government affairs and the granting of full autonomy at the third tier of government.

Orker-Jev, while giving his vote of thanks, expressed appreciation for the choice of Tsegba as interim chairman. He pointed out that the former legislator was a veteran politician.