What many anticipated as a political earthquake ended up being a theatrical whimper.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

For weeks, a collection of disillusioned and power-hungry politicians had taken to rooftops, sounding alarms and declaring their intent to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027. Not because his administration has collapsed, nor because the economy is in terminal decline—but simply because they’ve been starved of the trappings of power and can no longer thrive outside the orbit of public office.

Two years into his presidency, Tinubu continues to tackle Nigeria’s deep-seated challenges with grit—slow but deliberate. Yet, this so-called “coalition of the righteous,” now parading under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) banner in Abuja, led by Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, has failed to offer a single new policy idea.

Instead, their arsenal is filled with old rhetoric, recycled grievances, and the same tired soundbites that have defined their careers. This isn’t reform. It’s a sequel nobody asked for.

These figures, having exhausted their influence within their former parties, have turned the ADC into a political safe haven—a temporary vehicle for relevance, a lifeboat for stranded elites.

Nigerians have seen this act before. In 2018, former President Olusegun Obasanjo attempted something similar, rallying his own wounded coalition under the ADC banner. That experiment collapsed like a house of cards. If history repeats itself, this new reincarnation is destined for the same fate.

Let’s examine the cast in this latest drama:

Atiku Abubakar — The veteran of six failed presidential campaigns, who switches parties like outfits. Nearing 80, he appears to mistake the ADC for either a last dance or a backup plan for retirement.

Peter Obi — Still lamenting his third-place finish in 2023, Obi has now embraced the very political structure he once denounced. A candidate who campaigned on competence and transparency, yet left behind questions rather than legacy projects in Anambra.

David Mark — Once a central figure in the June 12 crisis and two-term Senate President, Mark now masquerades as a savior of democracy. The irony is not lost.

Nasir El-Rufai — Known for his unpredictability, he’s now nursing grievances over denied appointments. A man with shrinking electoral influence but outsized political tantrums.

Rotimi Amaechi — A career political beneficiary who believes Nigeria owes him eternal recognition, despite repeatedly failing to deliver his home state in key elections.

Rauf Aregbesola — Remembered more for chaos than accomplishments in Osun State and the Ministry of Interior. Once Tinubu’s loyalist, now part of a rebellion against him.

Bolaji Abdullahi — Eloquently indecisive, he’s become the mouthpiece of a party still figuring out its own relevance.

Make no mistake—this ADC revival is not about Nigeria. It is about them. No ideology. No agenda. Just a scramble for relevance.

Worse still, their so-called leadership structure flouts Nigeria’s electoral laws. The 2022 Electoral Act mandates a properly convened convention supervised by INEC to appoint party officers. What occurred in Abuja was a glorified press briefing, not a lawful political process.

In the end, this coalition is less a movement and more a support group for former power brokers. Without the grassroots drive, clarity of purpose, or energy that launched the APC in 2015, they are unlikely to stir any real momentum.

Their real message? “We miss power.”

But Nigeria has moved on. And the people are watching—with growing skepticism and well-earned amusement.

—
Ajayi is Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Publicity.