By Atoyebi Nike
The Presidency has issued a blistering rebuke of former appointees under President Muhammadu Buhari who have joined forces in a newly formed ADC-led opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections, accusing them of betrayal, personal ambition, and ideological bankruptcy.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Strategy, singled out former ministers Rotimi Amaechi (Transportation), Abubakar Malami (Justice), Hadi Sirika (Aviation), and Rauf Aregbesola (Interior), who have reportedly aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), now serving as the political vehicle of a rising opposition alliance.
In a post on X late Wednesday, Onanuga dismissed the coalition as a “group of desperados,” asserting that its only unifying factor is resentment towards Tinubu.
“No ideology binds them. They are united only by their hatred for Bola Tinubu. Their selfish and conflicting ambitions will soon tear them apart,” Onanuga wrote.
He accused Amaechi of turning his back on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) after losing the presidential primaries in 2022, and Malami of retreating from party affairs following his unsuccessful gubernatorial bid in Kebbi State. Sirika, he noted, is facing corruption charges related to aviation contracts, while Aregbesola was expelled for alleged anti-party conduct in Osun State.
The fierce response from the Presidency comes on the heels of the opposition coalition’s formal adoption of the ADC as its political platform. The group, comprising elements from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and disgruntled APC members, announced former Senate President David Mark as interim National Chairperson, Aregbesola as National Secretary, and former Sports Minister Bolaji Abdullahi as spokesperson.
Reacting to the development, Minister of Aviation and APC loyalist Festus Keyamo also took to X, deriding the coalition as a smokescreen for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s presidential ambitions.
“By law, you cannot belong to two political parties. Their declaration for ADC is a clear abandonment of their previous parties,” Keyamo wrote, arguing that the real intention is to hijack Labour Party votes without offering Peter Obi the presidential slot.
He added, “This is just Atiku’s faction of the PDP in desperate search for the 2027 presidential ticket nothing more, nothing less. The person they want to ride is Peter Obi. They want his votes, not to give him their ticket.”
Keyamo questioned the political logic of positioning Obi as a running mate, stating, “How can you make someone who won two regions in the last election (South-East and South-South) a running mate to someone who won only one (North-East)?”
Political commentators have likened the opposition realignment to the 2013 coalition that birthed the APC, which toppled the PDP in 2015. However, both Onanuga and Keyamo argue the current coalition lacks coherence and staying power.
“When the dust settles,” Keyamo concluded, “you will discover that PDP and the Labour Party have lost something, the ADC has gained a caricature, but the APC has lost absolutely nothing.”
As the 2027 election countdown begins, Nigeria’s political landscape is witnessing realignments reminiscent of past power shifts but whether this coalition has the structure or unity to pose a serious challenge remains to be seen.
