Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has declared that the Coalition of opposition political parties on the aegis of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is a patriotic movement that genuinely guided by national interest as against desperation being postulated by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
He pointedly said that what is being proposed is a truly democratic party with clear ideology and open internal democracy and not a cult-like structure driven by one man’s ego, adding that the coalition plans to adopt a democratic structure rooted in open primaries and competitive processes.
This was as he assured that the coalition is not about recycling ambition, but about rescuing a country in decline, thus invited every Nigerian, especially the youth, to watch closely and engage.
Atiku, who stated these through his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe while responding to scathing criticisms of the Coalition and ADC, dismissed the attacks, saying that the attacks are borne out of obvious fear that has manifested in the Tinubu presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) becoming so jittery and so uncomfortable.
Ibe, who delivered a point-by-point rebuttal to the criticisms by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who described Atiku and other opposition leaders as “spent forces” and “political desperados”, said he wondered what Onanuiga meant by ‘spent’.
While responding to Onanuga’s post on X, in which the presidential aide dismissed the ADC coalition as a gathering of disgruntled politicians, Ibe said; “Well, I wonder what Bayo Onanuga meant by ‘spent.’ Is it in terms of years in politics, or because they lost to Tinubu in 2023?
“Because if we’re talking about who appears spent, then look no further than President Tinubu himself. Tinubu, more than any of the opposition leaders, exhibits signs of political fatigue and opacity.
“When you look at Tinubu, what comes to mind is not energy or clarity. This is a man whose age is unclear, whose school history is suspect, and whose life story is riddled with contradictions. You cannot claim vibrancy while carrying that much baggage,” he stressed.
While countering Wike, who during a media chat, accused the opposition of seeking to destabilize the government due to their failure to gain power, Ibe pointedly described Wike’s statement as ironic.
Ibe further said; “The very man who is now benefiting from the coalition of 2015, and who himself has more or less left the PDP for the APC, is now calling others desperate for doing the same.
“What changed? Is it no longer democracy when those out of power unite to challenge the status quo?” he asked.
Ibe stressed that the coalition was bound by a singular focus which is Nigeria, saying; “The interest driving this coalition is the Nigerian interest. Not Atiku’s interest, not Obi’s, not El-Rufai’s. They are harmonising strengths because the nation is in crisis, and what we need now is collective action to fix it”.
Ibe stressed that the appointment of former President of the Senate, David Mark as interim chairman was evidence of the coalition’s seriousness and credibility.
According to Ibe; “They chose David Mark because he is not a politician you can push around. He has integrity and the experience to guide this movement through its formative phase”.
Onanuga had in a statement, mocked key figures within the coalition, including Rauf Aregbesola,Abubakar Malami, Rotimi Amaechi, and former APC National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, saying that they had either lost relevance or were facing corruption allegations.
But, Ibe stressed that Onanuga’s statement was a deflection tactic, stressing that; “Rather than address the deepening economic hardship and insecurity under their watch, they are trying to label anyone who criticizes them as irrelevant or corrupt. It won’t work.
“It is not lost on Nigerians that many of the people Onanuga insulted were instrumental to APC’s rise in 2015. If they have become enemies now, it says more about the party’s internal decay than the individuals themselves,” he said.
Ibe therefore appealed to Nigerians to judge the ADC coalition by its vision and values as against spewed and dirty propaganda.
He said that the coalition’s next steps would involve consultations at the grassroots, a national convention and an open invitation to all Nigerians who believe in unity, transparency, and reform.