By Dan Onwukwe
The adoption last week, of African Democratic Congress(ADC) by opposition leaders ahead of 2027 general election, has unleashed a great wave of commentaries, columns and articles about lessons in power, the nature of Nigerian politics, the temperament and behaviour of our politicians as well as the struggle for power.
Little is being said about the imaginative visionary necessary to achieve great things with that power. When things go wrong in a country, it’s fair to ask, why? Why are things getting worse, rather than better since Bola Ahmed Tinubu was sworn in as President of Nigeria, 26 months ago?
Is worsening insecurity, the near- collapse of the economy which has unleashed hardship on the people the result of the president’s incompetence, or simply, that of a leader who is overwhelmed by the challenges that confront the nation? Therefore, isn’t it fair to say that as a presidential candidate three years ago, Tinubu was badly and deceptively sold to unwary Nigerians as a visionary who possessed what it takes to ‘Renew Hope’ and restore the sagging confidence of foreign investors? But a little more than two years in office, it has become clear that without a vision beyond a leader’s own selfish advancement, that leader is almost paralyzed once the goal to acquire political power had been achieved.
It’s against this background that the unveiling of the opposition coalition under the umbrella of ADC has triggered panic and anxiety within the ruling APC. Anyone who tells you that the opposition alliance, comprising political heavyweights like former vice president Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David, Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, former Transportation Minister and Rivers state governor, Rotimi Amaechi, ex governor of Osun state, Rauf Aregbesola, has not rattled the APC, is living in denial. Other notable politicians in the coalition are: Sule Lamido, Nasir El-Rufai, Emeka Ihedioha, Uche Secondus, Gabriel Suswan, among others .
The first apprehension by APC led to the last -minute cancellation of the booking at Wells Carlton hotel, Abuja, the original venue of the alliance, ostensibly at the instigation of federal authorities. The second panic was the reckless allegation by presidential aide, Mr. Bayo Onanuga that the opposition was planning to “overthrow” the Tinubu administration before 2027. In a tweet shortly after the unveiling of the coalition, Onanuga said, “some critics are conspiring to bring down the “most focused, most transformative government in Nigeria’s history and truncate democracy”.
Onanuga is now a man more prone to errors than a kid in kindergarten. ADC interim national publicity secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi swiftly debunked Onanuga’s allegations. He said, “ADC is not interested in truncating democracy, we are solely committed to saving the nation from the irredeemable incompetence of this government”. He added that “when the time comes, Tinubu will be removed through the ballot, not bullets. We are not solders, we are politicians”. You can expect more sound bites in the days and weeks ahead.
The biggest panic of last week, perhaps was President Tinubu. He was in faraway Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he was attending the 17th Brics Summit when the alliance was announced at Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja. A source close to the meeting in Brazil told me on condition of anonymity, that the president expressed utter shock and disbelief when the news of the alliance was conveyed to him. The source claimed that the president felt like a “tank half-empty”, adding that the “wear and tear of his body was almost cataleptic”. You don’t blame the president considering the enormous effort and stupendous amount reportedly spent on making sure that the PDP and the Labour Party become irrelevant before 2027.
The reported meeting between the factional National Chairman of Labour Party, Julius Abure with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike in Abuja, may be a fresh plot to continue stoking the fire in Labour Party. But David Mark, a soldier, turned politician, and interim National Chairman of coalition, has told Nigerians why the formation of the alliance has become necessary. He said it became expedient to ‘rescue Nigeria from authoritarian drift’, and prevent the country’s “descent into a one-party state”.
He accused the Tinubu government of hijacking all relevant democratic institutions and make Nigeria lean towards a creeping civilian dictatorship. David Mark, a former Senate President, is not new to the kind of battle that the present situation may warrant. He has also alleged that under Tinubu’s leadership, Nigerians are now “wallowing in abject poverty, hunger and insecurity”.
He is
not the first person to express such concern. Many Nigerians have warned
against the danger our democracy faces under the present APC government. David
Mark went further to decry the subjugation of the National Assembly,
describing it as “an appendage of presidential authority, and its
members as mere “cheerleaders, praise- singers”.
One must commend Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President for having the courage to “welcome” the formation of the coalition, saying it is a healthy sign for democracy. He said it could promote broader political engagement across Nigeria’s multiparty system.
That’s what democracy ought to be. However, his cynicism that the alliance will not work, should serve as a challenge to the coalition leaders. They should not pretend to be unaware of ongoing infiltration of opposition political parties that may leave Nigerian voters with no alternative in 2027.
In that connection, my advice is this: ADC leaders beware! I don’t subscribe to the hackneyed postulations that Tinubu is unbeatable, come 2027. The contrary is the case, provided a free, transparent and credible election is conducted. Indeed , there’s vacancy in Aso Rock in 2027. However, they must be united and make the people their focus.
Never mind the mass defections. Nobody should underestimate what God can do in the affairs of a suffering people. The question is: Are you better off today than you were two years ago? Today, an average Nigerian is in bondage, more like a beggar in his own country. The defections you see are mainly driven by personal interests and morbid fear of a ‘strongman’ in power.
Leaders of the coalition must close ranks. It’s the first hurdle they must scale to have a realistic chance of rescuing Nigeria from the present, tyrannical, winner takes regime. They must also have a credible framework for power-sharing formula.
Failure to do this might tear the leaders apart before 2027. APC is not closing its eyes to that this happens. Last week, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state cried out that the federal government has been discriminating against opposition-governed states in the distribution of financial interventions and grants. Worse things may come soon to intimidate states that refuse to align with APC.
For the opposition leaders, national interest must not override personal ambitions. For example, can Atiku Abubakar give up his presidential ambition and allow a southern candidate emerge as the presidential candidate of the coalition?
This is a must if the alliance must succeed. The leadership of the alliance should not allow itself to be labelled as a party hurriedly fashioned for a section of the country. Nobody can spin falsehood as APC propaganda machine that can package and sell water in a desert even when it’s raining.
The
coming months will be a true test of the leadership of the coalition. APC is
looking forward to ‘celebrating’ the downfall of the alliance, having almost
accomplished the demise of the main opposition PDP. It will also be recalled
that last month, president Tinubu said he enjoys seeing the opposition parties
in “disarray”. This is not the stuff of a statesman. It’s the time to check the excesses of APC.
*Onwukwe is a commentator on public issues
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