APC’s Stronghold On Opposition Parties: ADC fights back

Picture a chessboard where every move is calculated, each piece carries the hopes of millions, and the ultimate prize, power, is fiercely sought after.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), under President Bola Tinubu, is positioning itself to tighten its hold by chipping away at opposition strongholds, setting the stage for an election with little resistance.

But the opposition, though fractured, is far from silent. It is slowly regrouping, driven by public frustration over poverty and encouraged by international attention on Nigeria’s political climate.

Former National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr Ralph Nwosu, had alleged that government backed actors were actively working to destabilize the coalition effort by sponsoring some of the party’s state chairmen to pursue legal action aimed at undermining the coalition.

He also alleged that senior government officers offered him three ministerial positions to dissuade him from transforming the ADC into a strong opposition coalition as part of a broader effort to weaken the ADC’s push to lead a coalition capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.

Nwosu however vowed that no offer or inducement from the ruling party would deter the ADC from opposing efforts to turn Nigeria into a one party state.

Sources in ADC also confirmed that the party was making every effort to ward off APC’s strategies of destabilising the opposition parties which some chieftains of both the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the Labour Party accused the ruling party of.

Even former governor of Sokoto state, Alhaji Attahiru Bafarawa, in an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, early this year said rather than scheme to decimate the opposition, the APC should work hard to earn the confidence and trust of the electorate saying in a country where there is no opposition, democracy dies.

The question now is whether the APC’s careful game plan will deliver an easy win, or if the opposition can gather enough strength to break the ruling party’s grip on the nation’s future.

Big Political Fight Ahead

Nigeria’s political scene in 2025 is a high-stakes battleground, with the 2027 general election shaping up to be a defining moment for the country’s democracy.

The All Progressives Congress (APC), under President Bola Tinubu’s experienced leadership, holds a strong advantage, backed by huge resources and a well-oiled political machine built over years of electoral success.

Its main challengers, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and the newly formed African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, are struggling with internal rifts and external pressures that threaten their strength.

The stakes could not be higher. A nation worn down by economic hardship and deepening poverty is calling for real change, yet the ruling party appears intent on ensuring no credible alternative can rise to challenge its dominance. Some of their members are even working for the ruling party.

Key figures, including Tinubu, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, are positioning themselves for a contest that could reshape Nigeria’s political future.

The North, a traditional power base, remains pivotal. Some leaders back Tinubu’s administration, while others question its commitment to meeting the region’s development needs.

Public anger, fuelled by widespread poverty and rising inflation, is simmering in both cities and rural areas, creating the potential for unpredictable shifts in voter loyalty.

Internationally, Nigeria’s stability is being watched closely, with global powers monitoring how democracy and political control play out in Africa’s most populous nation.

This mix of ambition, discontent, and calculated strategy sets the stage for a political drama in which every decision could shape the nation’s destiny.

Rumours persist of well-funded actors, seen travelling in SUVs with security escorts, fanning these disputes.

The tactics recall the 2023 polls, when the APC was accused of exploiting opposition weaknesses, such as inadequate party agent coverage, to win in unlikely strongholds like Rivers and Benue.

An insider described how ‘technical glitches’ affected the electronic result transmission system (iReV), potentially suppressing votes for candidates like Peter Obi, who, they claim, might have won 40–50% of the votes in some states where less votes were recorded for him.

The ruling party’s approach is said to rest on fragmenting opposition structures to block any unified challenge to President Tinubu’s re-election bid, combining financial clout and political leverage to keep control. But forces in APC counter that, saying that the opposition was merely raising false alarm.

“We want opposition, it is good for us,” one APC Chieftain said on Arise News yesterday.

“When the government claims 52 percent of allocations went to the North, I laugh. It reminds me of the book, ‘How to Lie with Statistics’. What’s on paper isn’t always visible on the ground,” said Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, ACF’s National Publicity Secretary, on Arise TV’s The Morning Show on Thursday.

He cited the North’s neglected infrastructure, pointing out the absence of 250 uninterrupted kilometres of road in the Northeast.

“I wouldn’t say the North has been abandoned, but there’s definitely a disparity in resource allocation and priorities,” he added, acknowledging inequality but warning against politicising the matter.

The opposition, however, is far from idle. The ADC coalition, launched five weeks ago, brings together political heavyweights such as Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Nasir El-Rufai, and David Mark, united in an effort to avoid the vote-splitting that cost them in 2023, when Tinubu won with just 37% of the vote against Atiku’s 29% and Obi’s 25%.

The PDP is weighing a move: offering former President Goodluck Jonathan an automatic ticket, seeing him as a unifying figure who could galvanise support for a southern presidency.

Meanwhile, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s ‘Seyi 2027 Movement’ is gaining momentum, framing the race as ‘APC versus Nigerians’ and tapping into public frustration over economic woes.

Yet internal friction threatens opposition unity. The PDP faces efforts to remove some key national leaders, while the ADC grapples with court cases in some states, casting doubt on whether a united challenge can be mounted.

“We have Governor Seyi Makinde, a vibrant leader who is doing great things in Oyo. Now that we are talking about the Presidency remaining in the South, these are the two main individuals I stand for: Goodluck Jonathan and Seyi Makinde,” said Daniel Woyengikuro, PDP’s National Financial Secretary, in an interview with Saturday Vanguard.

Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, a PDP chieftain, recalled the party’s founding in 1998, stressing its inclusive roots.

“The PDP was never meant to be an exclusive club. From day one, it was designed to be a national platform, a big umbrella for all shades of opinion, ideology, and aspiration,” he said.

Public sentiment is adding fuel to the contest. Poverty and inflation are driving widespread anger, with social media buzzing under hashtags like #FixNaija.

At the same time, northern students in Sokoto and Bauchi have celebrated Tinubu’s NELFUND fee payments, reflecting pockets of grassroots support for the APC’s targeted benefits.

This tension, between appreciation for specific government policies and resentment over broader economic hardship, has created a volatile electoral landscape.

Internationally, Nigeria’s political manoeuvres are drawing wary attention from Western diplomats. Remembering the controversies over delays and alleged manipulation in 2023, they are signalling closer monitoring of the 2027 polls.

The global focus raises the stakes: can the APC’s tactics suppress opposition momentum, or will a fractured coalition turn public discontent into a credible challenge?