By Emameh Gabriel
With a single, stark accusation, Datti Baba-Ahmed has plunged the future of the much touted African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition into a deep and potentially irreversible freeze. The movement, which aimed to unite Nigeria’s fractured opposition under one banner, now finds itself exposed, grappling with internal inertia and a very public crisis of confidence that threatens to shatter its foundations before they ever properly settle.
The problems became impossible to ignore when Datti Baba-Ahmed, a respected politician who was Peter Obi’s running mate in the last presidential election, spoke out. In a television interview on Friday, he did not hold back. He called the ADC coalition a “ deception, accusing it of tricking the Nigerian public about its ability to solve the country’s deep rooted problems. For a project that was trying to present itself as united and strong, these words were like a bucket of cold water. They gave voice to what many ordinary Nigerians were already feeling and highlighted the cracks forming within the coalition itself.
This very public criticism has shone a light on the coalition’s shaky foundations. One of its most prominent figures, Atiku Abubakar, has been almost completely silent. For over two weeks, he has not publicly spoken about the ADC or its plans. This silence is especially telling after the party’s very poor performance in a recent by-election, where it failed to secure a single seat. When a supposed leader does not comment after a failure, it suggests a lack of commitment or deep internal problems, or both.
Those internal problems are now out in the open. The party is dealing with crises and disagreements from its national headquarters all the way down to its state branches in places like Kaduna, Kogi, and Nasarawa. A political party that cannot manage its own affairs is unlikely to convince people it can manage a country.
Further complicating matters is the confusing position of Peter Obi, the man whose support the ADC was built upon. Just a few days before his running mate condemned the coalition, Mr Obi himself had said his political movement had “adopted” the ADC as its new platform. But in almost the same breath, he stated he was still trying to “take back” the Labour Party, saying it was the “right thing to do.” This sends a very mixed message. It leaves his supporters and the public unsure of what the real plan is, making the entire project seem disorganised and unclear.
But perhaps the biggest problem the ADC faces is one of perception. Many Nigerians look at the people leading this coalition and see familiar faces from the past. The coalition has been linked to well known politicians like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark, and former governors such as Nasir el-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola.
For a large number of citizens, these are not new saviours. They are figures who have been at the heart of Nigerian politics for decades, often as members of the very parties—the PDP and the APC—that many blame for the country’s current problems with the economy, corruption, and security. They are what many Nigerians dismissively call “recycled politicians,” people seen as simply moving from one party to another without any real change in their ideas or intentions.
This is why many Nigerians are not buying what the ADC is selling. The promise of a new coalition does not give assurance to an average Nigerian, because it is led by people from the old system. There is a widespread feeling that this is not a genuine new beginning but a clever repackaging of the same political products. The public, especially the young people who are desperate for real change, are deeply sceptical. They want a clear break from the past, not a reunion of it.
Datti Baba-Ahmed’s harsh criticism tapped directly into this public mood. By slamming the coalition and firmly stating his loyalty to Peter Obi but within the Labour Party, he has iced over any excitement the ADC might have hoped to generate. The coalition now finds itself stuck. It is not seen as a strong, united force but as a confused and weak grouping, troubled by infighting and led by people the public does not trust.
For the ADC to have any chance of success, it must overcome this deep freeze. It would need to sort out its internal fights, present a clear and unified leadership, and, most difficult of all, convince a sceptical nation that it truly represents something new and different. Without that, its grand ambitions risk fading away, becoming just another failed political project in a country that is desperately waiting for a real alternative.
Discussion about this post