It comes as no surprise that news headlines this week have been dominated by the formation of a coalition by opposition politicians plotting to defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

The Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) was adopted as a platform to challenge Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC). Leading the ADC coalition is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi, both runners-up in the last presidential election.

They are joined by other experienced politicians, including former Senate President David Mark, who like Atiku is leaving the PDP, along with the opposition party’s former chairman Uche Secondus, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai and former Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi.

At the unveiling of the coalition on Wednesday, interim chairman David Mark said it was an attempt to save the country’s democracy and to stop Nigeria from becoming a one-party state.

However, analysts said the coalition is bound to be torn apart by the ambition of some of the key political figures on the question of which part of the country should its presidential candidate come from.

Although there’s a long way to go before candidates are officially announced, political commentators are predicting that 78-year-old Atiku will have another shot at the presidency. Atiku’s supporters feel that with him being the only former vice president seeking the presidency, every other politician naturally comes second.

Aside from Atiku, Amaechi has indicated his interest in running for the country’s top job in 2027. The former minister came a distant second in the APC presidential primary in 2022, losing to Tinubu. In an interview on Channels TV on Thursday, Amaechi said he believes the power-sharing deal between northern and southern Nigeria should be respected.

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He recalled how he fought for the return of power to the North in 2015, saying he believes in power sharing between the two major regions of the country. “I led the fight against the PDP government. Why? Because there was an agreement that the government at that time would spend four years. But after four years, the government reneged on it, and I said no, that would be unfair. That will be instability at its peak because the North will react.”

Amaechi added that in line with the power-sharing principle, he would be a one-term president if given the chance to lead the country in 2027. “I won’t do more than four years,” he said, adding that “the South must be allowed to complete its tenure. If the South is not allowed to complete its tenure, then I have made a mistake in supporting it.”

Amaechi’s stance is not very different from that of Obi, who came third in the last presidential election, surprising many pundits to win in 11 of Nigeria’s 36 states and Abuja.

Obi has also declared his intention to contest in the 2027 presidential election under the coalition. Obi said the platform would offer Nigerians “a competent, capable, and compassionate” leadership.

“Our commitment is to sacrifice and work together towards the 2027 general elections, ensuring that Nigeria gets a competent, capable, and compassionate leadership that will prioritise the nation’s future by putting the welfare of Nigerians first,” he said.

The former Anambra governor said he would be willing to serve for a four-year tenure if he reached an agreement with those who support his ambition. “If there is any form of agreement that will restrict me to four years in office, I will comply with the agreement and be ready to leave office by 28th May 2031,” Obi said.

Obi and Amaechi will thus hope that the ADC zones its presidential ticket to the South and that the candidate, if elected, would serve only one term before power returns to the North again. Atiku, who has tried to be Nigeria’s president since 1993, is, however, expected to challenge that belief and seek to be the ADC candidate.

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“Ultimately, the success of the coalition would depend on their establishing a level playing ground for intra-party democracy to produce the best candidate,” said Jibrin Ibrahim, a professor of political science. “If they fail to do so, their success cannot be guaranteed.”

Sectional Interests
The politics of region, geography, religion, and ethnicity is one of the major fault lines in Nigerian democracy. This was a major issue in 2010, after the death in office of President Umaru Yar’Adua, also in 2011, and again in both 2015 and 2023.

It would most certainly be the case in 2027, too.

After eight years of the Buhari/Northern Presidency, the Southern partners in the emerging coalition would naturally insist that to replace Mr Tinubu, who would have spent four years in 2027, the remaining four years must naturally go to a presidential candidate of Southern extraction.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi has said that the Federal Government is ready to negotiate the release of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

Umahi said Kanu’s release should not be used as a condition for any form of political support.

Speaking to journalists in Lagos on Friday, the Minister said the release of Kanu should not be used as a bait for the support of President Bola Tinubu by the people of the Southeast region.

“Somebody asked me about Nnamdi Kanu, and I said his matter is not a condition for the South East to support the President.

“We are willing to negotiate his release, but no one should make it a condition because the President did not put him there,” Umahi said.

According to Umahi, the IPOB leader’s release would come through divine intervention and dialogue with the appropriate authorities.

“President Tinubu may not be perfect, but he is doing most things right. Look at where he picked up the economy from.

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“The international community has confidence in his reforms. That is why we are getting support for our projects,” Umahi said.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has launched a blistering verbal attack on veteran journalist, Dele Momodu, questioning his credibility and recounting personal anecdotes meant to discredit the Ovation Magazine publisher.

Wike, who is known for his no-holds-barred style of political engagement, made the scathing remarks in response to Dele Momodu’s recent criticisms of his political maneuverings and conduct in national discourse. Momodu had taken to various platforms to question Wike’s style of governance and political allegiances, accusing him of playing double standards in the evolving dynamics of the opposition landscape.

In a fiery rebuttal, Wike declared:  “Dele Momodu does not have any credibility. He came to my house and stayed for some weeks. When he’s eating, food will be falling down from one side of his mouth.”

Wike’s comments, laced with mockery and disdain, appeared designed to publicly humiliate the respected journalist and undermine his moral standing. The minister’s comments are already making waves across the political and media circles, sparking fresh controversy around the FCT Minister’s confrontational rhetoric.

This outburst adds to the growing list of public figures Wike has confronted head-on, further cementing his image as a political strongman who spares no words when responding to dissent.

Observers have described Wike’s attack as both personal and unnecessary, noting that the dispute could have been addressed through more civil and policy-focused dialogue rather than character assassination.

Meanwhile, Dele Momodu is yet to issue a formal response to Wike’s statement, but insiders suggest that he may address the issue in his next column or media appearance.

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As the drama unfolds, Nigerians are once again reminded of the widening gulf between political actors and public commentators, where personal relationships often give way to brutal political vendettas.

Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has denied joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Naija News, Adeleke reaffirmed his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Recall that rumours had emerged on Friday after claiming that the Osun state governor has concluded plans to dump the PDP and contest for his re-election in the APC.

But in a statement to Naija News on Saturday by his Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Governor Adeleke noted with concern the widespread rumour.

He reassured his supporters and admirers that he remains a member of the PDP and the leader of the party in the state.

Governor Adeleke, who restated his preoccupation with the implementation of the administration’s five point agenda, urged Osun people to ignore fake news, promising more delivery of good governance and democratic dividends.

“I assure the good people of Osun that I remain part and parcel of the PDP family. I am not defecting to any party”, the governor was quoted as clarifying.

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Governor Adeleke, alongside his elder brother Deji Adeleke and Afrobeats star David Adeleke, also known as Davido, had recently met with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his Lagos State residence some weeks back.

Former Interior Minister and Interim National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has appealed to party supporters to refrain from engaging in any form of altercation with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a post shared on his X account on Friday, the former Osun State Governor urged supporters of the coalition-backed party not to fight, attack, or insult anyone, but to challenge them with facts about the state of the country.

”I sincerely thank our supporters and members of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, who came out to receive me on my arrival in Lagos.

”The task before us is immense, and I reminded everyone that we do not need to fight, insult, or attack anyone. When others resort to abuse or name-calling, we must rise above it. Instead, ask them one simple question: Are Nigerians better off today than they were before?

”Challenge them with facts – on food inflation, the economy, the rising cost of living, and the deepening poverty affecting millions. Let our debates remain focused on the issues that matter.

”Articulate our position clearly and confidently. Explain why our new political home, the ADC, represents a credible and necessary alternative for Nigeria’s progress and long-term sustainability,” he said

Aregbesola was once a political ally of President Bola Tinubu, a relationship that dates back to 1999 when Tinubu was governor of Lagos State. They fell apart in 2022 when Tinubu’s nephew, Gboyega Oyetola, who succeeded Aregbesola, was running for a second term in Osun State on the platform of the APC.

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Aregbesola’s political group, ‘Omoluabi’, failed to support Oyetola’s candidacy, but rallied behind Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Consequently, Oyetola lost his re-election bid to Adeleke.