The Presidency has dismissed the newly formed opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections as a fragile alliance driven by personal interests and resentment against President Bola Tinubu, rather than any shared national vision or ideology.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the coalition—currently operating under the African Democratic Congress (ADC)—will not last, citing the conflicting ambitions of its key actors.
Onanuga described the group as “desperados” seeking political relevance after losing influence, warning Nigerians to be wary of what he called a coalition of convenience.
“My advice to Nigerians: Keep your eyes wide open. A political party with no clear agenda or ideology—whose members are united only by their hatred for President Tinubu—cannot be good for our country. It will only set us back by decades,” the statement read in part.
According to him, many of the coalition members had previously distanced themselves from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and are now using the ADC as a vehicle to stage a political comeback.
“These politicians are not motivated by national interest. They are simply desperate to avoid another four years in political wilderness,” he said.
The coalition, which held a strategic meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, announced former Senate President David Mark as its interim national chairman and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim national secretary.
Among the key figures linked to the new alliance are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi.
But the Presidency believes such a lineup, though high-profile, is bound to clash internally due to overlapping ambitions and absence of ideological alignment.
“What is certain is that the group will soon unravel due to their irreconcilable personal ambitions,” Onanuga concluded.
The statement marks the first formal reaction from the Presidency following the announcement of the coalition, which is positioning itself as a formidable opposition bloc to challenge President Tinubu’s expected re-election bid in 2027.
