The Presidency has dismissed the political realignment of former APC stalwarts under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as nothing but desperation.
The defectors, according to the Tinubu administration, are seeking a shortcut back to power after being cast out of relevance.
In a fiery statement issued by President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency accused the group of pretending to care for Nigerians while plotting personal comebacks.
“These politicians are desperados, hungry for power, not for the benefit of Nigerians but for themselves,” Onanuga said.
“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.”
Defections Built on Frustration, Not Principle
Onanuga was pointedly referring to yesterday’s defection of Rotimi Amaechi and Abubakar Malami, among others, to ADC, claiming they had already abandoned the ruling party long before the recent announcement.
“Rotimi Amaechi’s soul left the APC in 2022 after losing the presidential primary to President Tinubu,” he said.
He added that former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami “has never hidden his estrangement from the APC since Tinubu assumed leadership and since he lost the governorship bid in Kebbi.”
Former Aviation Minister Hadi Sirika, also now with the ADC, “is facing trial for contract splitting and other allegations.”
Rauf Aregbesola, another defector and former Osun governor, was described as “a renegade” who committed anti-party acts and was “expelled as an unfit APC member.”
Onanuga said their return in ADC colours means little, as their personal ambitions remain unchanged and irreconcilable.
“No Agenda, Just Hate for Tinubu”
The Presidency described the ADC coalition as hollow, lacking any unifying political vision beyond attacking President Tinubu.
“Some members of the hijacked ADC, who were reported as members of the APC, left the APC years and months ago,” the statement read.
Chief John Odigie Oyegun and Kashim Imam were also listed among those posturing as political saviours despite being, according to Onanuga, long estranged from the APC.
“Chief Oyegun, a former party chairman, lost interest in the APC and has been a foundational member of this coalition since its inception,” he stated.
On Imam, he added, “Imam abandoned the APC after failing to secure the vice-presidential ticket in 2022.”
Onanuga urged Nigerians not to be deceived by the public posturing of the group, warning that the new coalition is built on division and bitterness.
“My advice to Nigerians: Keep your eyes wide open. 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,” he warned.
“It will only set us back by decades.”
He concluded that the coalition will eventually collapse under the weight of its members’ conflicting ambitions.
“What is certain is that the group will soon unravel due to their irreconcilable personal and political ambitions.”
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