Opinion

The Rise of ADC as Opposition to APC's Rule Thwarting Democracy 

By Yusuf Khalid Tebo

The APC has bamboozled its way to the Villa and emerged as a platform for political machinations, with the goal of maintaining in power and building a one-party state system, notably under Tinubu, as shown in Rivers State. 

Tinubu conspired to remove Fubara unilaterally, which was both unconstitutional and hazardous to democracy. Arresting activists such as Prof. Usman Yusuf, one of the most influential technocrats who saved Nigeria's NHS from collapse, as well as Sowore, VDM, Olamide Thomas, and others, has exposed Tinubu’s lack of democratic principles.

Historically, the APC, or all progressive congress, has made progress in destroying Nigeria's democracy and political system. During Buhari's eight years of failure, we witnessed the selective arrest of opposition figures who stole public funds while abandoning those who supported it for political reasons. 

In addition, Tinubu arrested more than 30 minors from Northern Nigeria for allegedly treasonous activities. Their crimes were protesting against his imprisonment of them in democracy through hunger and starvation due to his unpredictable, unprepared, and economically unfriendly actions in removing fuel subsidies. Thus, APC’s ten years caused hardships that led to the protests and tensions. 

Critically, what undermines democracy under Buhari's and Tinubu's poor leadership is not merely the presence of bad politicians. Politics, by its nature, is a dirty game, and even in the US and other democracies, including China, where I currently reside, there are politicians who are poor policymakers. However, in Nigeria, we repeatedly elect and re-elect individuals who are often uneducated, uninformed, unprepared, incompetent, and largely unpatriotic, all while pretending to serve the public interest out of sentiment.

According to George Jean Nathan, "bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote." In the context of Nigerian politics, this may be tactically applicable in our context. Rather than actively participating in the political process and electing leaders who prioritise fairness, equality and progress, good individuals choose to turn a blind eye to dirty politics. 

This avoidance stems from a belief that engaging with these realities conflicts with their moral principles. Consequently, this reluctance has led to the complete erosion of political aesthetics and social values, paving the way for a new kind of moral policing among intellectuals who compromise with bad politicians in silence.

In a thesis published by Siddhartha Kumar Dhar, titled 'The Dirty Hands Dilemma in Politics: A Study of Political Ethics' at the University of Uppsala, Sweden, I noted: 'When faced with an emergency situation, politicians are often compelled to sacrifice their core moral principles to better serve the immediate public interest.

Therefore, the above submission addresses the coalition decision that led to the rise of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The current political climate has prompted figures such as El-Rufai, Obi, Atiku, Mark, Amaechi, and key members of the APC, PDP, SDP, and other political parties to challenge the ruling party for undermining democracy, which has led to their betrayal. 

They are voicing their frustration over being denied access to participate in a government they helped establish, while metaphorically promoting social justice and opposing policies that directly impact the well-being of both the masses and the elite. In response, I watched various opinions on TV and read articles shared by Nigerians. What I observed were comments driven by emotion. People are tired, angry, and unable to identify the truth. 

Let me start with Bulama Bukarti, who boldly described the APC and ADC as essentially the same. His words are sharp, comical, and on point; he spoke nothing but the truth. The same individuals who formed the APC and PDP have now come together under the ADC. Nonetheless, what I wished for Bukarti to do was to choose the lesser evil, as Kperogi unintentionally expressed in his recent article. 

From Dan Bello’s submission, I understood that Nigerians, especially in the North, are desperate to unseat Tinubu in 2027. What he wrote was straightforward: he doesn’t belong to any political platform. Yet, the comments were sadly driven by emotion. People wanted him to express support for the ADC despite his opposing views on Tinubu’s government, which many of us share. As electorates, our mindset seems too weak to tolerate opposing perspectives, which is why we continue to vote for the same individuals. 

In summary, the majority of Nigerians are critical of Tinubu’s government and are siding with the ADC, not because he is Yoruba, a Southerner, or a Muslim, but due to his significant missteps under the APC. His biggest mistake has been prioritizing politics, undermining democracy, and placing sentiment above the national interest and the well-being of Nigerians. While Tinubu’s government may present attractive figures on paper, its practical performance is most apparent when Rarara performs in regions ravaged by insecurity, poverty, and hunger.