From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Special Adviser to the President on America and Communications, Sunday Dare, has called on politicians rallying under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to abandon hopes of unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027, suggesting instead that they focus on the 2031 elections.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday, Dare dismissed the prospects of the opposition coalition, arguing that none of its members possess the democratic credentials or achievements of President Tinubu. “The Presidency already rests with the region rightfully due. And that’s where it will be till 2031,” he asserted.
Dare described the coalition as a “purely opportunistic gathering of disgruntled politicians” and criticised those who have joined the ADC, accusing them of misleading Nigerians. “There is no injustice to redress—only avaricious ambition to satisfy the cravings of a few for the control of the National Treasury,” he said.
The Presidency, in a statement earlier in the week, also dismissed the opposition’s adoption of the ADC, arguing that the circumstances that led to the All Progressives Congress (APC) victory in 2015 cannot be replicated. “In 2013, the merger that birthed the APC was driven by selflessness, national interest, and strategic discipline. The leaders at the time were willing to set aside personal ambitions for the greater good. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, despite commanding the loyalty of several sitting governors, chose to wait. He bided his time, played the long game, and focused on building a viable political platform.
“He had never lost an election, and he didn’t have to force his way in.
“Today, no one in this coalition commands that kind of loyalty or trust. Not one of them could genuinely unite a ward, let alone a country. No one comes close to parading the democratic credentials of President Bola Tinubu,” Dare concluded.
