By Eshiorameh Sebastian, Abuja
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has downplayed the significance of the newly formed opposition coalition, insisting that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains unshaken and will continue to attract defectors from rival parties.
His comments come just weeks after major opposition figures formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their unified platform to challenge the APC in the 2027 general elections.
“Yes, we have discussed,” Sule said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, when asked if APC governors were concerned about the opposition’s regrouping.
“And it is not something, actually, that I will disclose here. You know, as they are planning, we are planning. We’re not just sitting down watching them plan. So as they plan, we plan. And at the end of the day, the better plans will take over.”
The governor’s confidence stems from what he describes as a steady influx of political heavyweights into the APC.
“We keep getting more and more governors from the PDP joining us. Very soon, you will hear another governor joining us. You hear every day about senators decamping and coming back to the APC. Every day. These are all part of the plans—they’re not happening just by magic,” he added.
Sule’s remarks follow a high-profile opposition meeting held on 2 July at Abuja’s Yar’Adua Centre, where key political figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, and former governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, endorsed the ADC as their coalition’s vehicle for the 2027 polls.
During the gathering, ADC founder Ralph Nwosu presented membership cards to former Senate President David Mark and ex-Osun governor Rauf Aregbesola, who were unveiled as the coalition’s interim chairman and secretary, respectively.
However, Governor Sule dismissed suggestions that the APC was intimidating potential opposition members, labelling such claims as baseless.
“I don’t underrate anybody, but the bottom line is, they must find something else to say. Jonathan’s era is completely different from this era. We didn’t see what we’re seeing now during Jonathan’s time. We didn’t go through the challenges we’re facing now during his time,” he argued.
Drawing a contrast between the APC’s formation in 2013 and the current opposition efforts, Sule noted, “The calibre of people that came together to form the APC—ANPP, APGA, ACN, CPC, and even the new PDP—is not the same kind of thing you’re seeing in this new opposition.”
While the ADC-led coalition has been praised in some quarters as a potential turning point in Nigeria’s political landscape, sceptics, including pro-APC voices, have questioned its cohesion and long-term viability. The ruling party appears unfased, banking on its incumbency advantage and continued defections to maintain dominance.
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