The difficulties that Nigeria’s opposition faces in forming a coalition to take on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the run-up to the 2027 elections have been discussed by Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former presidential political adviser.
The coalition’s intention to form a new party, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), may encounter significant obstacles, Baba-Ahmed clarified in an interview. He pointed out that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) hasn’t registered a new party in years and this application is unlikely to be singled out just because it includes well-known lawmakers. If INEC prioritizes the ADA’s registration, he said, it runs the danger of coming seen as biased.
Significant progress is being impeded by a lack of internal trust, conflicting goals, and the wrong people leading the opposition, Baba-Ahmed underlined. “Well,” he said:
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“We are not trusting one another. The main stakeholders are not in agreement. In an effort to create an alternative to the APC, the wrong individuals are in charge. Nigerians want leadership that is credible, new, and visionary, not those who have served in the past.
Baba-Ahmed explained his reasons for quitting government service:
“I entered to contribute to the nation’s improvement, but I ended up having nothing worthwhile to accomplish. Technocratic counsel was not well received by the administration. I decided to go instead of just sitting around.
He emphasized the need for the opposition to transcend individual aspirations and called for a generational change that would include young, vibrant Nigerians with new ideas. Baba Ahmed cautioned:
“Without a genuine alternative and credible leadership, the opposition risks handing over 2027 to Tinubu on a platter.”
He concluded by pointing to past coalitions that span Nigeria’s regions to refute the notion that coalitions only form when a Southerner is in power.
