A new political coalition, adopting the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections, has ignited a fierce war of words with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Presidency. The nascent coalition, which includes prominent figures like Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi, is being branded by its opponents as a gathering of “serial election losers” and “self-centered individuals.”

Wike Mocks Coalition, Presidency Labels Leaders ‘Losers’

FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, speaking during a media chat in Abuja, dismissed the ADC-led coalition, asserting that only the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has the potential to defeat the incumbent President, while Nigerians are not considering the ADC. Wike criticized the opposition leaders, including former Senate President David Mark and former Minister Rotimi Amaechi, accusing them of hypocrisy for now claiming Nigerians are “angry” despite having held significant positions of power for years without demonstrably improving the lives of citizens. He specifically challenged Mark regarding his eight-year tenure as Senate President and Amaechi on the nation’s debt under his watch. Wike emphasized that President Tinubu is actively working to improve the nation’s condition and argued that true anger should come from those who have never held public office.

The Presidency, through Special Adviser on Media and Public Communications, Sunday Dare, echoed Wike’s sentiments, outright dismissing the ADC’s potential. Dare asserted that the new coalition “has no semblance of the 2013 merger that birthed the All Progressives Congress.” He characterized the ADC as being led by a “serial election loser” whose ambition is “personal, not patriotic,” contrasting it with the APC’s formation which he described as driven by “selflessness, national interest, and strategic discipline.” Dare also highlighted the absence of a unifying figure like General Muhammadu Buhari within the new coalition, arguing that “no one in this coalition commands that kind of loyalty or trust.”

Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, further weighed in, describing the new political realignment as “a dead on arrival party” and an “Association of wild goose chasers, consisting of internally displaced politicians forming a dead on arrival party.”

ADC and APC Trade Barbs

In response to Wike’s criticisms, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, countered that Wike is “unsettled” because the emerging coalition poses a significant threat to the administration he serves. Abdullahi maintained that the ADC-led coalition belongs to the Nigerian people and that its formation would not have been necessary if the government had kept its promises, citing issues like unpaid teachers’ salaries in the FCT and growing insecurity. He also accused Wike of allowing himself “to be used by the government he serves to destroy one of the most powerful political parties in Africa, the PDP.”

The All Progressives Congress (APC), through its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, similarly slammed the ADC-led platform as “a gathering of deceivers and self-centered individuals driven by personal grudges.” Morka labeled the coalition’s unveiling as a “gasping whimper” and a “coalition of hoaxers and self-obsessed merchants of vendetta,” accusing its members of being desperate for power. He characterized the speech delivered by the alleged ADC National Chairman, David Mark, as “disgracefully vacant, without substance or purpose.”

Internal Strife Within Opposition Parties

The formation of the ADC-led coalition has also exposed cracks within the existing opposition parties:

• Peoples Democratic Party (PDP): The PDP’s National Working Committee (NWC), through its National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba, clarified that the party “has not taken any official position on the issue of coalition.” This contrasts with some key PDP figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President David Mark (now interim ADC National Chairman), who have publicly endorsed the coalition. The PDP stated its focus remains on “building and consolidating on attained unity, stability and strengthening of its structures” for 2027, while remaining open to working with “other well-meaning, like-minded citizens.”
• Labour Party (LP): The Julius Abure-led faction of the Labour Party issued a 48-hour ultimatum to its 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to resign from the party due to his alliance with the ADC. National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh accused Obi of engaging in “nocturnal meetings” and having a “dual agenda,” stating that “desperate politicians cannot be the architects of a new Nigeria.” However, a caretaker committee headed by Nenadi Usman quickly dismissed Abure’s ultimatum, affirming its “full support for Mr Peter Obi’s involvement in the coalition efforts” and dismissing Abure’s faction as “political jesters with no legitimate standing.”

Amaechi’s Call to Action and Public Sentiment

Former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi weighed in, suggesting that the only way to prevent President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027 is for citizens to “take their fate into their own hands.” Speaking at a public presentation of the 2025 Nigeria Social Cohesion Survey Report, Amaechi criticized Nigerians for “grumbling in private” while remaining passive against elite domination. He cited examples of mass protests in Bangladesh, Peru, and Kenya that forced out unpopular leaders, contrasting them with what he called Nigeria’s “most docile society.” He lamented the perceived weakness of bodies like the NLC, which he said “can’t even mobilise their people” due to ethnicity, concluding that “Nigeria has totally collapsed.”

Professor Bell Ihua, Executive Director of the Africa Polling Institute, presented survey data revealing that 83% of Nigerians have little or no trust in the Tinubu government, 80% distrust the National Assembly, and 79% distrust the judiciary. This data suggests a widespread public dissatisfaction with current governance, which the new coalition hopes to leverage.

ADC’s Vision and Internal Division

Despite the backlash, former National Chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, affirmed that the coalition would soon unveil its blueprint, tagged “Contract with Nigerians,” which he believes will set the nation on a path of real progress. He stated that the coalition has been in the making for 18 months and has begun establishing its presence in all 774 local government areas and wards across the country.

However, the ADC itself is grappling with internal divisions. Its 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, alleged that the faction now led by former Senate President David Mark is “designed and engineered to produce Atiku Abubakar as its flag bearer” for 2027. Kachikwu dared the coalition leaders to prove him wrong by publicly declaring that the 2027 presidential ticket would be zoned to the South, vowing to challenge the new leadership in court if necessary. He recounted a meeting where he was told they were “taking our power back,” which he interpreted as a clear indication of a Northern-centric agenda for the presidency.