By Comrade Sanusi A. S. Maikudi
The politics of 2027 is already being shaped in 2025. The opposition’s new coalition that recently adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform, has been generating interest as a possible vehicle to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Yet, former Jigawa State governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Alhaji Sule Lamido, has sounded a cautionary note. His warning, if understood in its full meaning, is not a death sentence for the coalition but a roadmap for its survival and victory.
Lamido’s Core Message
In a recent interview, Lamido argued that if the coalition picks the wrong presidential candidate in 2027, it will be easily broken by Tinubu. He drew a sharp contrast between the present movement and the 2014 coalition that birthed the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The 2014 coalition, according to Lamido, was a union of strong, cohesive, and organic political institutions, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Muhammadu Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), governors from the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a significant bloc from the PDP. These structures had functioning grassroots machinery, discipline, and shared purpose. By contrast, Lamido sees the current coalition as “a coming together of individuals,” without the institutional backbone that made APC’s 2015 triumph possible.
Why Lamido’s Caution Matters
Lamido’s point is not that the 2025 coalition is doomed, but that it is vulnerable. Coalitions without internal cohesion are easier for incumbents to divide through strategic appointments, inducements, intimidation, or regional wedge politics. Tinubu himself, a master of political chess, will not hesitate to exploit such weaknesses.
In Nigerian political history, many promising alliances have collapsed under the weight of ego battles, unclear agreements on power-sharing, and lack of binding ideology. Lamido’s message, therefore, is a practical reminder that winning an election requires more than being against the incumbent, it demands being for something clear, compelling, and organisationally rooted.
Beyond Lamido: The Opposition’s Own Responsibility
Some opposition figures want to eat their cake and have it, operating entirely within their comfort zones issuing statements, attending selective meetings, and waiting for the tide to turn in their favour. But politics is not won in comfort zones.
Winners take calculated risks, think big and outside the box, and lead by example. Coalition building has no one-size-fits-all formula. It can be an alliance of parties, a gathering of influential individuals, or a hybrid of both. The form matters less than the function.
What counts is:
Unparalleled hard work in reaching every ward, village, and community.
Mass mobilisation that turns sympathy into votes.
Development of a clear ideological framework that differentiates the coalition from the ruling party and gives people a reason to believe.
Turning a Coalition of Individuals into a Coalition of Institutions
Lamido’s comparison with 2014 should be read as a challenge to the ADC-led movement: evolve quickly from an elite gathering into a mass-based political organism. This involves:
Clear Shared Purpose – Beyond “sack Tinubu,” the coalition must offer a credible, unifying policy vision that addresses Nigerians’ urgent needs: economic revival, security, and governance reforms.
Strong Candidate Selection Process – Avoid a personality contest by creating transparent, merit-based criteria for flagbearer selection. Wrong choices can alienate blocs and fracture unity.
State-Level Structures – Build functional branches in all 36 states and the FCT with identifiable leaders who command respect locally.
Inclusive Power-Sharing Framework – Assure all major stakeholders from the North to the South, from urban elites to rural voters that they have a stake in both the campaign and the post-election governance plan.
Strategic Alliances with Governors and Legislators – State-level political machinery can make or break national campaigns.
Narrative Discipline – Develop a consistent message that paints the coalition as the answer to Nigerians’ disillusionment, while contrasting its values with APC’s record.
Conflict Management Mechanisms – Internal disputes are inevitable. Pre-agreed arbitration channels can prevent them from spiraling into public spats.
A Call to Patriotic Duty
This is bigger than Lamido, bigger than Atiku, bigger than Tinubu, and bigger than any single political party. Nigerians today are gasping for breath under the weight of harsh and suffocating far-right economic policies that have deepened poverty, eroded purchasing power, and left millions in despair. The coming elections are not just about changing leaders they are about changing the trajectory of a nation.
Every coalition leader, party chieftain, grassroots organiser, and concerned citizen has a patriotic duty to make a difference in the lives of ordinary Nigerians to give them a fighting chance to breathe fresh air again. This means working with urgency, discipline, and a willingness to sacrifice personal ambition for the national good.
Conclusion
Lamido’s words should not be read as discouragement but as political wisdom from someone who has seen Nigerian coalitions rise and fall. The 2025 coalition can become the 2027 winner if it moves beyond being a temporary marriage of convenience and grows into a durable political institution. But that will require hard work, ideological clarity, calculated risk-taking, and the courage to step outside comfort zones.
The clock is ticking. The question is simple: will the opposition rise to the patriotic call to rescue Nigerians from economic suffocation and give them a chance to breathe? Or will it, like many before it, become just another broken promise in our political history?
Comrade Sanusi A. S. Maikudi
Writes from Kaduna, Nigeria.