The recently unveiled coalition of opposition parties under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has given Nigerians a “glimmer of hope” for a credible and effective opposition, according to former presidential aide and veteran journalist, Laolu Akande.
Appearing on Sunrise Daily on Channels Television on Friday, Akande shared an in-depth analysis of the coalition’s prospects, its potential challenges, and the broader implications for Nigeria’s democracy.
“What I think has happened is that it [ADC coalition] has given a bit of glimmer of hope that there can be a good opposition in Nigeria’s politics. It’s going to help the system. First of all, it’s going to increase accountability. And then, it’s going to force the people in government to become more transparent,” Akande stated.
He argued that a credible opposition is essential for keeping those in power in check and ensuring that governance remains responsive to citizens’ needs.
However, Akande raised concerns about the coalition’s internal cohesion, noting that personal ambitions among its key actors could derail its mission.
“So that’s the challenge of this opposition. Are they going to be able to remain together? That’s the big question, because we know that Amaechi wants to be president. You know, Peter Obi wants to be president. And Atiku Abubakar wants to be president. So those are the three main forces. Who knows? Maybe there are other people there who want to be president,” he observed.
Akande contrasted the ADC coalition with the APC’s formation in 2013, explaining that the APC achieved cohesion through a clear understanding between its dominant blocs.
“When the APC was formed here, everybody knew clearly that this is something between the people of Buhari in the north and the people of Tinubu in the southwest. And Tinubu was very clear that, look, let this thing go first to the north, to Buhari. So that helped the cohesion of the party,” he noted.
He cautioned that without a similar consensus and commitment to a fair process among the ADC coalition members, internal rivalry could break it apart.
Speaking on the internal controversies over leadership within the ADC itself, Akande dismissed any significant influence of Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate.
“The question of the guy who was the presidential candidate of ADC before is a non-starter. You know, I mean, look, where was he? Look at what Peter Obi has done. At least after the election, he’s still there. He kept showing up, you know, even though he can’t manage his party, but he was out there. This Dumebi guy just disappeared and then comes around now. I don’t think he’s going to make any impact,” he said.
Akande also offered a frank assessment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC’s performance so far.
“They are the same. The only difference that somebody like Bola Ahmed Tinubu has showed is that he has a superior strategy. He understands this game more than the rest of them. So you can say today that he is the owner of the game. But that doesn’t mean that he’s not vulnerable,” Akande argued.
He continued: “Bola Ahmed Tinubu is also vulnerable because so far he has not shown in government that he can actually deliver the goods. I still give him another two years, you know, because if he starts today, he can still get things done. But we have never seen, it is not what he has represented that we are seeing in government. That is completely, totally undemocratic, and it destroys his reputation as a democratic person.”
Akande concluded that Nigerians should keep their eyes open, given that both the ruling party and the opposition coalition still have significant questions to answer.
“We are giving the benefit of doubt to the coalition, just like we are giving the benefit of doubt to the APC. We are saying that APC still has two years, let’s see what they are going to do. And so coalition people, okay, let’s see whether you know what you have to do. And we haven’t had enough of them in terms of what they are going to do. We’ve not had, you know, so what are the issues? What kind of tendency are you going to push? Is it going to be welfare for Nigeria? What is it that you want to do differently? We haven’t seen that. But like I said, these guys are the same. Nigerians should shine their eyes,” he warned.
The former presidential aide’s analysis captured both the optimism and the deep skepticism many Nigerians feel as they watch the ADC coalition try to forge a credible alternative in the country’s political landscape ahead of 2027.
