Many have said the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the new coalition bride on Nigeria ‘s political firmament had a stellar debut on Wednesday, but not so for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Like it’s protagonists have done in the last 24 hours, it has officially taken the coalition to the cleaners.<\/p>\n
Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the APC, has ridiculed the unveiling of the AD) as the new opposition coalition, calling it a disappointing spectacle devoid of substance.<\/p>\n
Speaking on the event held Wednesday Morka said the much-publicized coalition launched with a \u201cgasping whimper, not the promised roar,\u201d describing it as a gathering of \u201choaxers and power-hungry elites\u201d whose primary motivation is personal political survival.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis coalition is nothing more than a congregation of self-interested political actors \u2014 individuals who equate their personal ambitions with the national interest and who are desperate to reclaim access to power and patronage,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
Morka harshly criticized the keynote speech delivered by Senator David Mark, the ADC\u2019s newly announced interim National Chairman, calling it \u201chollow and aimless\u201d and filled with \u201cregurgitated lies and baseless accusations\u201d against the APC-led administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cMark offered no vision, no alternative policies, no ideological grounding. Just empty rhetoric and a desperate cry for relevance,\u201d Morka added.<\/p>\n
According to Morka, the ADC-led coalition failed to present any coherent strategy or plan to improve upon the Tinubu administration\u2019s bold economic and governance reforms. He accused the group of ignoring the government\u2019s achievements, including:<\/p>\n
\u2022 A rebound in GDP growth to 3.4%<\/p>\n
\u2022 Foreign reserves rising from $4 billion in 2023 to over $24 billion in 2024<\/p>\n
\u2022 A reduction in debt-service-to-revenue ratio from 99% to 40%<\/p>\n
\u2022 A decline in inflation from 31% in 2024 to 22% in 2025<\/p>\n
\u2022 Stronger agricultural earnings and falling prices of basic goods<\/p>\n
\u2022 Record oil exports, increased trade surpluses, and stable forex markets<\/p>\n
\u2022 Expansion of student loans, academic stability, infrastructure growth, and social investment programs<\/p>\n
Morka concluded that while the ADC coalition \u201cthrows mud and bricks,\u201d President Tinubu and the APC remain focused on using those bricks to build a stronger nation.<\/p>\n
In contrast, the ADC event held in Abuja attracted a lineup of prominent politicians, signaling an ambitious attempt to create a unified opposition ahead of the 2027 elections. High-profile defectors from the PDP, Labour Party, and even the APC were present, including:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar<\/p>\n
\u2022 2023 LP presidential candidate Peter Obi and his running mate Datti Baba-Ahmed<\/p>\n
\u2022 Former Ministers Rotimi Amaechi, Abubakar Malami, and Bolaji Abdullahi<\/p>\n
\u2022 Former Governors Nasir El-Rufai, Aminu Tambuwal, Liyel Imoke, Gabriel Suswam, and others<\/p>\n
\u2022 Former APC National Chairman John Oyegun<\/p>\n
\u2022 Former Inspector-General of Police Mohammed Abubakar<\/p>\n
\u2022 Notable figures like Dino Melaye, Ireti Kingibe, Dele Momodu, Babachir Lawal, and Celestine Omehia<\/p>\n
Senator David Mark, now the interim National Chairman, described the coalition as \u201ca platform for rebuilding democracy\u201d and preventing Nigeria\u2019s descent into a one-party state. He emphasized that the coalition’s mission went beyond power politics.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe aim to build a party rooted in democratic values, inclusion, transparency, and performance \u2014 a big tent for all patriots,\u201d he declared.<\/p>\n
He portrayed the ADC as a platform embracing experience and youthful energy, offering an ideological alternative built on unity, rule of law, justice, and competence.<\/p>\n
Despite the high-profile endorsements, internal rifts have already surfaced. Musa Matara, who identified himself as the ADC\u2019s National Publicity Secretary, publicly rejected the appointment of Rauf Aregbesola as interim National Secretary.<\/p>\n
Matara criticized the process as undemocratic and lacking transparency:<\/p>\n
\u201cWho appointed Aregbesola? Was the NEC consulted? Were the party\u2019s grassroots structures involved? The answer is no. This appointment is null and void.\u201d<\/p>\n
He warned that the ADC was not a personal property to be hijacked by elite power-brokers and expressed concern over attempts to merge the party into the broader National Opposition Coalition without consensus.<\/p>\n
\u201cADC is not for sale. Our members have not endorsed any coalition, and the party is still grappling with unresolved legal issues from the 2023 elections,\u201d Matara added.<\/p>\n
He called for due process and cautioned that a forced political alliance on a shaky legal foundation could be both irresponsible and self-defeating.<\/p>\n
As the ADC tries to reinvent itself as the nucleus of a new opposition movement, it faces not only external criticism from the APC but also internal resistance over leadership legitimacy and process. While the coalition may have attracted big political names, its ability to present a coherent alternative and unify disparate interests remains uncertain.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Many have said the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the new coalition bride on Nigeria ‘s political firmament had a stellar debut on Wednesday, but not so for the All Progressives Congress (APC). Like it’s protagonists have done in the last 24 hours, it has officially taken the coalition to the cleaners. Felix Morka, National Publicity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":94324,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,8],"tags":[3200,189,2544],"class_list":["post-94323","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","category-politics","tag-adc","tag-apc","tag-coalition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=94323"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/94323\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/94324"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=94323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=94323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=94323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}