The coalition of opposition parties to overthrow the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 has been characterized as unworkable and lacking in strategic direction by Adetokunbo Pearse, a former candidate for governor of Lagos and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In an exclusive interview, Pearse—who is also the Convener of the Reset Lagos PDP and a member of the PDP National Presidential Campaign Council for 2023—voiced his worries.
He criticized the project as a “wild goose chase,” but he acknowledged that the coalition’s intentions were admirable given what he saw as the ruling party’s subpar leadership.
Pearse made the case that previous political partnerships have generally failed, citing Nigeria’s political history as support.
He brought up the 1960 alliance between the National Council of Nigeria and Cameroon (NCNC), led by then-President Nnamdi Azikiwe, and the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC), led by then-Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa, which disintegrated in two years.
According to him, this failure resulted in yet another failed alliance between the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), a breakaway section of the Action Group (AG), and the NPC.
He said that the fabricated alliances were a factor in political instability, which included the 1966 military coup that resulted in the Nigeria-Biafra conflict and civil unrest in the Western Region.
Pearse also brought up more contemporary instances, like the failed attempts to join the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) prior to the 2019 general elections.
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He ascribed their failure to internal strife, a lack of cohesive leadership, and acrimonious rivalries, all of which contributed to the opposition’s eventual weakness and the APC’s reelection.
According to him, the 2013 merger of Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) was successful because both parties needed each other.
Pearse warned against putting “quantity over quality” in opposition tactics, stating that bolstering the PDP’s current structure rather than forming a coalition is the most efficient approach to beat the APC in 2027.
He contended that Atiku would have doubled Tinubu’s vote total, ensuring a PDP victory, had Peter Obi not added LP as a third force in 2023.
He said that the PDP should concentrate on strengthening its current base of support, especially in the South East and among Christian groups in the North, rather than changing its name.
PDP continues to be Nigeria’s only credible opposition party, according to Pearse, with 12 governors, 38% of the Senate, 43% of the House of Representatives, and extensive influence at the state and local government levels.
“In summary, everyone in Nigeria who wants to protect their nation from the APC’s catastrophic rule should help the PDP overthrow Tinubu in 2027. Supporting a fake coalition will simply help the APC stay in power, he said.
He added that the ruling party views the APC as its primary opponent, as seen by its effort on internalizing the PDP.
“Why has the APC devoted all of its resources to weakening the PDP internally if it is not afraid of it?” he said.
