ADC Coalition: A Serious Threat APC Must Not Ignore

Following the adoption of African Democratic Congress (ADC) by the opposition elements from different political parties as the political vehicle to use and wrestle power with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2027, Nigeria now has a strong opposition party. 

What we had in Nigeria was a weak opposition with barrages of factions and crisis, but the emergence of ADC as a coalition party has changed the scenario and the ruling party–APC must be vigilant. Anybody telling you that ADC is not a force is biased and not abreast with the dynamics of politics and power in Nigeria. The key political figures in the coalition are not pushovers. The likes of Atiku, Peter Obi, David Mark, Aregbosola, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, Dino Melaye, Solomon Dalung, Dele Momodu, Gabriel Suswam, Ireti Kingibe and others. 

APC is a product of coalition, formed in 2013, with/by three major opposition parties; ACN, CPC and ANPP and a faction of APGA. The party shook the country with strong and heartwarming manifestoes and unseated the ruling PDP in 2015. It was unprecedented in the history of Nigerian democracy. There were torrents of endorsement of the sitting president by different groups, but the goalpost was shifted at the peak of the competition. It was a lesson to all political actors and spectators. Of course, the then PDP was not perturbed by the coalition as they were swimming in the euphoria of marathon endorsements, reason it’s not always good to underrate any movement.

Politicians are seemingly the same. Political parties are just vehicles conveying people to power. Those who joined APC to unseat President Goodluck Jonathan were once in PDP. Those who joined APC in recent time were in PDP, LP, APGA or SDP. The same people. A bad man in PDP will still be a bad man when he joins ADC or APC. Nigerian politicians hardly work in corroboration with party’s ideologies. Their personal Interest matters most.

No doubt, these actors who joined the coalition ADC didn’t change Nigeria when they were in power. They are against the ruling party because they are no more in power. When they are in power, they harden their heart, but when they are out of power, they turn critics and suchlike. The masses would think they are fighting for their interest to better the society not knowing they are for their selfish interest. And if these men in ADC later have their way, they won’t also change anything but might be worst. Just birds of same feather.  

Nigerians are too emotional. They easily forget, reason they collect N5,000 from a wicked leader during election and vote him in for another tenure. Someone who has been starving them would please them on the day of election and they would forget and forgive his political sins. Only a few are enlightened such that they can’t be bribed to sell their vote. 

Like I said before, Nigerians are emotional. The person who starved them yesterday can tell them today that they should leave the one starving them now that he will provide food for them in abundant, and they would agree, with every form of equanimity. They wouldn’t remind the one claiming saint today of his past records. That’s Nigerians for you! And that’s why we always find ourselves out of the frying pan into the fire. 

Essentially, the ruling APC must be vigilant. The party should devise a means and new strategies to disorganise the coalition group. They should also take more care of the masses. The easiest way to dislodge power mongers masquerading as coalition elements is to ensure good governance. A good leader doesn’t need to struggle to win second tenure. Your good works will be there to speak for you.

The APC should understand that opposition is imminent in democratic setting and should always proactively prepare for their strategy. They should learn to reward hardwork among party members. It’s unfortunate that APC is favouring opposition much while its members watch. The same opposition element you want to satisfy against your fellow party members would at the long run join forces against you using the resources he had got from you. Somebody supported you to win election in first term; after victory, you now take care of those who did everything possible to ensure you didn’t emerge more than those who staked everything they had to ensure your victory. Every leader must have enemies. You can’t please everybody. But you must always ensure “greatest happiness for the greatest number” as put forward by a UK born philosopher, Jeremy Bentham. 

So, APC should restrategise and match the coalition group hands down. They should ignore those telling them the coalition is a jamboree, that they can’t do anything. A good politician must always have plan A and B, even C. In politics, you keep strategising and never underrate. If you killed a lion confronting you with AK 47 gun, use same gun to kill an ant that comes your way. We played excellently in the football match and dribbled everyone in the field, but the question will be, did you later score goal? It’s about who scored goal and won and not who played well, and politics is like a football match.

Written By Polycarp Obinna Alegu