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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) have stepped up their attacks on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the PDP rejecting moves to mobilise opposition politicians for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, while the ADC accused the ruling party of admitting failure in the fight against insecurity.
The two opposition groups, in separate statements on Tuesday, challenged the political and security record of the Tinubu administration, insisting that Nigerians needed an alternative to the APC rather than an alliance designed to sustain the ruling party in power.
The Turaki-led Interim National Working Committee (INWC) of the PDP specifically distanced itself from the Rainbow Coalition being promoted by Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, declaring that genuine members of the party would not support Tinubu’s re-election.
Similarly, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council said remarks attributed to the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, amounted to an admission that the ruling party lacked convincing answers to Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
Interim National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki-led PDP faction, Ini Ememobong, said the responsibility of an opposition party was to offer Nigerians an alternative to the government in power rather than mobilise support for its continuation.
He argued that any meaningful political alliance involving opposition parties should be among parties seeking to replace the incumbent administration, not with the governing party.
“The true and principled members of the Peoples Democratic Party are not part of the shameless, self-serving support for the APC-led Federal Government and its destructive policies. The paramount duty of the opposition is to provide an alternative to the incumbent, not to massage their ego.
“If at all opposition parties are to have an alliance, it will be amongst themselves, not with the governing party. This political anomaly, styled and championed as a ‘rainbow coalition,’ is the greatest threat to electoral democracy and the fastest way of railroading the country into an electoral monarchy.”
The statement followed Wike’s moves to rally political figures across party lines behind Tinubu’s second-term ambition through the Rainbow Coalition.
The PDP has remained divided by a prolonged leadership crisis, with the Wike-aligned faction led by Abdulrahman Mohammed enjoying recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while the Turaki-led INWC is challenging that recognition in court.
Ememobong maintained that Wike’s mobilisation efforts did not represent the position of what he described as the party’s genuine members.
He urged supporters of the Turaki faction to remain steadfast pending the outcome of the legal dispute, disclosing that its appeal had been heard and judgment was being awaited.
“We urge all true and faithful members of the Peoples Democratic Party to remain steadfast as we await the judiciary’s decision, hopeful that it will return our party to its true owners. Our case at the Court of Appeal has been heard, and we await judgment. We know that the entire judiciary is conscious that justice delayed is justice denied,” he said.
The faction also warned Nigerians against what it described as political accommodation among powerful interests at the expense of meaningful opposition and accountability.
“Nigerians should be wary of elite accommodation and state capture masquerading as broad-based political collaboration. The election next year provides a great opportunity to vote out these insensitive and irresponsible political actors,” Ememobong added.
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Meanwhile, the ADC Presidential Campaign Council seized on comments attributed to Yari during a political engagement in Kebbi State on Monday to question the APC’s capacity to address insecurity.
Yari reportedly argued that if former President Muhammadu Buhari, a retired military general, could not completely resolve Nigeria’s security challenges, expectations of Tinubu, who does not have a military background, should be considered in that context.
The ADC, however, interpreted the remarks as an acknowledgment of failure by a senior official charged with coordinating the President’s re-election campaign.
In a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, the campaign council described the reported comments as “a damning indictment of the APC government and a startling admission from a senior figure entrusted with selling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid to Nigerians.”
It argued that the remarks raised questions about the ruling party’s security record and the justification for seeking another presidential mandate after nearly 12 years in power.
“For a party that has been in power for nearly 12 years, this is a shocking admission of failure. Rather than inspire confidence in Nigerians, the statement from the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council reinforces the growing perception that the ruling party has run out of ideas and has no credible answers to the nation’s security challenges,” the ADC said.
The campaign council pointed to continued incidents of banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and killings, maintaining that many communities remained vulnerable despite repeated government assurances.
“After years of promises, Nigerians continue to grapple with banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and wanton killings. Communities remain vulnerable, families live in fear, and citizens are increasingly worried about the safety of their lives and livelihoods,” it stated.
The ADC further questioned whether Yari’s argument amounted to asking Nigerians to accept persistent insecurity as an unavoidable challenge rather than demanding concrete solutions from the government.
“Now, the APC’s own campaign chief appears to be asking Nigerians to accept that if a former military Head of State could not defeat insecurity, there is little President Tinubu can do. This is not the language of a party offering hope; it is an expression of helplessness from a party seeking another mandate,” the statement added.
The council challenged the APC to explain how it intended to address the security crisis if its campaign leadership was unable to defend the administration’s record convincingly.
“How can the APC ask Nigerians to renew its mandate when its own campaign leadership is raising doubts about the capacity of its presidential candidate to tackle insecurity? Why should Nigerians entrust their future to a party whose leading campaign figures appear unable to defend its record or inspire confidence in its capacity to deliver?” it queried.
The ADC maintained that tackling insecurity required leadership, accountability, practical solutions and the political will to protect lives and property rather than explanations for the persistence of violent crime.
“Nigeria needs leadership that accepts responsibility, develops practical solutions and demonstrates the political will to protect citizens. It does not need a government that offers excuses for persistent insecurity or a ruling party whose campaign leadership appears to have lost faith in its own candidate’s ability to deliver,” it said.
The council urged Nigerians to scrutinise the ruling party’s security record ahead of the presidential election, presenting its candidate, Atiku Abubakar, as an alternative to the Tinubu administration.
“Nigeria cannot afford another four years of insecurity, uncertainty and excuses. The country deserves better, and Nigerians must be given the opportunity to choose a new direction of affordable life in a secured nation through Atiku Abubakar,” the ADC stated.
