Presidency blasts opposition coalition as “political desperadoes” driven by personal ambition
Abdullateef Fowewe
In a sharp critique of the recent political coalition formed by the politicians across the different political parties, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga has described the group as “political desperadoes” driven by personal ambition rather than national interest.
Onanuga in a statement on Thursday, highlighted that many of the politicians that join from All Progressives Congress (APC) had long left the party before the coalition’s formation, cautioning the public against being misled by opposition narratives about their relevance.
He noted, “Some members of the hijacked ADC, who were reported as members of the APC, left the APC years and months ago. Let the public not be deceived by the opposition’s narrative about their relevance or whether the APC will mourn their departure.”
He cited prominent figures such as former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, whose “soul left the APC in 2022 after losing the presidential primary to President Tinubu.”
Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney-General, who “has never hidden his estrangement from the APC since Tinubu assumed leadership and since he lost the governorship bid in Kebbi.”
Hadi Sirika, now with the ADC, “facing trial for contract splitting and other allegations.”
Rauf Aregbesola, described as a “renegade” expelled for “anti-party activities in the last Osun election.”
Onanuga also mentioned Kashim Imam and Chief John Odigie Oyegun, labeling them “disgruntled politicians posturing as would-be saviours of Nigeria.”
He explained, “Imam abandoned the APC after failing to secure the vice-presidential ticket in 2022.
Chief Oyegun, a former party chairman, also lost interest in the APC and has been a foundational member of this coalition since its inception.”
Warning Nigerians about the implications of such a coalition, Onanuga urged vigilance stressing, “A political party with no clear agenda or ideology—whose members are united only by their hatred for President Tinubu—cannot be good for our country. It will only set us back by decades.”
He concluded with a stark prediction, “These politicians are desperados, hungry for power, not for the benefit of Nigerians but for themselves.
“They want power at all costs because they cannot endure another four years in the political wilderness or be banished to political winter and irrelevance. What is certain is that the group will soon unravel due to their irreconcilable personal ambitions.”
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), which has been designated as the platform for Nigeria’s opposition coalition, has appointed former Senate President David Mark as its interim national chairman and former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim national secretary, Dailyeconomy reports.
