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Former National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Iyiola Omisore, has downplayed the significance of the newly formed opposition coalition, expressing confidence that internal rivalries among its leading figures will undermine its prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Politics Today, a political affairs programme aired on Channels Television on Wednesday, Omisore described the coalition’s unity as “superficial,” pointing to the ambitions of its key members, many of whom are eyeing the presidency.
“Everyone wants to be president,” he said. “You can see that after that meeting, Obi said he wants to be president, Atiku said the same, Rotimi said the same thing, and Aminu Tambuwal too. So how are we sure they are going to continue on this full list? Let us watch and see. Politics is not mathematics; it’s reality.”
Asked whether the coalition, comprising high-profile political figures such as Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and others, posed a serious threat to the APC’s hold on power, Omisore responded with confidence: “No, I’m not worried at all. Because there are ox among them, all of them have the same goal.”
The former Osun State deputy governor further argued that the coalition’s structure lacks electoral weight, citing past election results in states governed by or associated with some of its leading members.
“The bulk of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). They are all hosts from PDP, 85 per cent PDP now. Up to this time, Rotimi [Amaechi] lost Rivers State; we lost Kaduna State, that’s El-Rufai; we didn’t win Anambra and Edo State; there is a PDP governor, and we still won the party. So these things don’t add up,” he said.
While acknowledging the attention the coalition has generated, Omisore suggested it could serve as a distraction for its own members, rather than a strategic threat to the ruling party.
“To an extent, it’s going to keep them busy. But as they are getting busier, we will look at our strategies and strategise as well and look for the best ways to cut them off. But it’s good they have come. It’s welcome. At least they will be busy doing something.”
Omisore’s comments come in the wake of a major opposition meeting held on 2 July at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, where several prominent political figures formally adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as their new platform to challenge the APC in the 2027 general elections.
At the event, ADC founder Ralph Nwosu symbolically handed over the party’s leadership to former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, who were named interim national chairman and interim national secretary, respectively.
The high-profile gathering included Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Ireti Kingibe, Dele Momodu, Emeka Ihedioha, Dino Melaye, and retired Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, among others. Representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP) were also in attendance.
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