The political temperature ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections just got hotter with the formal adoption of the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) as the platform for a newly forged coalition of political heavyweights. At a symbolic gathering held on July 1, 2025, at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja, the party announced David Mark—the longest-serving Senate President in Nigerian history—as its interim chairman, and Rauf Aregbesola, former Osun State governor and ex-Minister of Interior, as its secretary. The political architecture of this coalition is both deliberate and formidable.
To borrow a football metaphor, this new opposition resembles the early-2000s Galácticos of Real Madrid: a constellation of seasoned political gladiators, technocrats, mobilizers, and strategic thinkers. These are not rookies—they are the architects of the political playbook. Some are even estranged founding members of the APC. This development should trigger nothing short of a political alarm within the corridors of Aso Rock and the APC national secretariat.
Yet, within the APC, we continue to see the same hubris that doomed the PDP in 2015.
In 2013, the APC rose from the ashes of fragmented opposition parties—united by a shared discontent and a common goal: to dethrone a complacent ruling party drunk on power. Today, over a decade later, the tables appear to be turning. The APC now sits in the seat of power, behaving with the same sense of invincibility, tolerating mediocrity in key appointments, and growing increasingly disconnected from the people.
But history, if ignored, has a cruel way of repeating itself.
The ADC coalition is not a random alliance—it is a calculated political realignment. With figures like David Mark, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rauf Aregbesola—each wielding significant political influence—this is not a movement to dismiss. It is pan-Nigerian in tone and tenacious in intent.
Their target is clear: the APC’s vulnerable underbelly, exposed by unpopular reforms, internal disunity, lackluster appointments, and a widening gap between the government and the grassroots.
While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may be committed to stabilizing the economy through bold reforms, many within his own party appear indifferent to the administration’s success. Appointees operate like emperors—building personal fiefdoms rather than national legacies. Ministers and agency heads are out of touch with the political pulse and seemingly unconcerned about 2027.
The APC seems to have forgotten what brought it to power: coalition politics, grassroots engagement, and strategic discipline.
2027: APC’s to Lose
Let’s be clear—2027 is still APC’s to lose. The party controls the executive, commands significant influence in the legislature, and governs the majority of states. But these advantages can quickly morph into a false sense of security. Power is never permanent in politics—only performance and perception endure.
The hardship faced by everyday Nigerians is real. No media spin can erase the pain of subsidy removal, naira devaluation, soaring inflation, or job losses. The opposition doesn’t need to promise heaven—they only need to remind Nigerians who is responsible for their current hardship.
A call to strategic humility
If the APC leadership retains any political instinct, now is the time to act:
- Reshuffle and reassess key appointments with political capital in mind. Reward competence, not sycophancy.
- Rebuild alliances with estranged founding members who still carry significant influence.
- Reconnect with the grassroots—not through slogans, but through empowerment, presence, and sincere engagement.
- Reframe the President’s reforms in a way that resonates with the hopes and realities of ordinary Nigerians.
The danger for APC is not just the loss of an election. It’s the loss of moral authority, public trust, and the momentum of a movement that once symbolized Renewed Hope.
In politics, as in war, the greatest threat is not the enemy outside, but the arrogance within. The APC must heed the lesson of the PDP: when hubris sets in, defeat is not just possible—it becomes inevitable.
Jibril is a political analyst and teacher. He writes from Abuja. He can be reached at +234 806 598 5479,
