ADC; Coalition Is Not Enough

ADC; Coalition Is Not Enough

By Kunle Awosiyan

Sincerely, if you observe the politics of Bola Ahmed Tinubu keenly and critically, you will realise that he is a very thorough politician.

He goes beyond merely spreading his tentacles to bring people into his fold; he deploys every available tool to outmanoeuvre his opponents.

He looks beyond coalition-building, studying his adversaries like a football coach analysing opponents, identifying loopholes and exploiting them to secure victory.

Though trained as an accountant, Tinubu has immersed himself in research, journalism, and law, transforming these disciplines into strategic assets in his political playbook.

This is where many of his opponents have faltered. Rather than studying him, they have focused more on blackmail and rhetoric.

Instead of carefully navigating the legal and institutional frameworks of politics, they appear fixated on hastily dislodging him by jumping into any available political platform without adequately addressing procedural and legal vulnerabilities.

They needed a platform, no doubt, but have shown insufficient patience and diligence to close loopholes that could ultimately undermine their efforts.

Those in the opposition today, particularly within the African Democratic Congress (ADC), appear unprepared for the level of work required to clinch power.

If Tinubu were a football coach, he would lose very few matches and only by slim margins. He would win many more, including major trophies. Any coach hoping to defeat such a team must not only be intelligent but exceptionally thorough.

It is time the opposition understands that democracy, in its modern form, goes beyond the classical definition of government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It now encompasses the strategic deployment of law, not just the accumulation of votes, as a pathway to power.

Interestingly, the purported chairman of the ADC and former Senate President, David Mark, recently criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over its interpretation of the legal principle of status quo ante bellum.

This followed the derecognition of his leadership by the commission.

While the legal jargon may be complex, the implication is clear: those within the ADC understand the power of law in a democracy, yet have failed to deploy it effectively, choosing instead to blame Tinubu for their own strategic missteps.

The ruling party, All Progressives Congress, had swiftly replied ADC that neither the president nor the party is involved in its woe.

Ironically, two prominent figures within the ADC leadership ranks, Peter Obi and Rauf Aregbesola once benefited from judicial victories at different points in their political careers, underscoring the very importance of legal strategy in electoral contests.

Politicians seeking to challenge Tinubu, including Atiku Abubakar, David Mark, Nasir El-Rufai, Aregbesola, and Obi still have significant work to do if they are to mount a serious challenge. It is unfortunate that many appear to interpret democracy primarily through the lens of coalition-building, without deeper strategic grounding.

If Obi does not fully grasp this, one would expect Aregbesola given his political history with Tinubu to understand it better. Over the years, Tinubu has built structured teams: legal, economic, security, and political dedicated to analysing and countering opposition forces.

Among those in the ADC, Aregbesola may be the closest in experience to Tinubu’s model, but he cannot do it alone. One individual cannot match a coordinated network of experts working with a singular objective.

Let it be clear: INEC is not the enemy. However, it is bound by the rule of law and cannot act in defiance of court decisions.

Ultimately, for politicians who believe they can simply assemble themselves and appeal to public emotion through criticism of the ruling party, the reality is stark: modern democracy demands far more. It requires depth, structure, strategy, and above all, smartness.

ADC; Coalition Is Not Enough