The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed recent meetings of prominent opposition figures like Olusegun Obasanjo as meaningless since they won’t challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership or the party’s rule. While addressing the political activities of Obasanjo and his cronies, Bala Ibrahim, the APC national publicity director, made this assertion.
According to Ibrahim, Tinubu has had a profound effect on modern Nigerian politics, and the president is unstoppable thanks to his expertise and strategies. With all due respect, I hold Obasanjo in the highest regard. As an aging statesman, ex-president, and former head of state, I would rather avoid getting into a quarrel with him.
Nevertheless, he clarified that Tinubu is not on their side in contemporary Nigerian politics. The opposition coalition, which comprised Rabiu Kwankwaso, Peter Obi, and Donald Duke, was also regarded with disdain by him. When compared to other modern political figures in Nigeria, Tinubu is head and shoulders above the crowd.
Tinubu remains untouched by the alliance formed by Obasanjo, Kwankwaso, Peter Obi, and Donald Duke, my former classmate. This is the faction that, according to Ibrahim, was defeated in the last election. Ibrahim cited historical events to demonstrate that Obasanjo had been unsuccessful in swaying elections on previous occasions. He mentioned that Obasanjo had backed the failed presidential campaigns of Goodluck Jonathan in 2015 and Peter Obi in 2023.
In the past, Obasanjo has supported candidates who did not win. There have been previous occurrences like this. He supported Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign, but Buhari ultimately prevailed. Even though Obasanjo backed Peter Obi in the last election, Ibrahim noted that Tinubu still won. If Ibrahim is correct, the opposition’s efforts to unite will fail. The APC government will be unaffected regardless of how many sessions they convene.
At some point or another, Kwankwaso, Obasanjo, Obi, and Duke have all experienced loss. If angels were to intervene, the whole situation would shift. “Their gatherings will fail to produce fruitful results if they are merely these tired individuals attempting to unite,” he said. The APC has remained steadfast in its leadership and administration due to its belief that opposition coalitions lack the ability to change the political atmosphere of the nation.
