Dr. Tanko Yakasai, Director-General of the Tinubu Support Group (TSG), has downplayed the efforts of a political coalition spearheaded by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja over the weekend, Yakasai asserted that the coalition was bound to fail, likening its prospects to a “pack of cards.”
Simultaneously, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been mobilizing support among Nigerians in the Diaspora, ahead of formally launching a broader opposition alliance to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Yakasai dismissed growing concerns over Nigeria potentially turning into a one-party state, citing the ongoing wave of defections to the APC.
According to him, party-switching is a normal part of the political process, as the APC itself has lost members to rival parties in the past.
He emphasized that Nigerians would not place their trust in a coalition led by Atiku, asserting that those in the alliance had mismanaged the country in previous administrations.
“You can remember that it was in this country that $16 billion meant for power infrastructure went missing; it was in this country that we had the Halliburton scandal for which an American senator was jailed, but collaborators in Nigeria have not faced the law,” he stated.
“So, APC has come to correct these things done by PDP. Most of them, who held sway since 1999, and I know them well, performed badly.”
“Now that Tinubu has come to rectify their misgovernance, instead of supporting him, they are forming a coalition to take power again after they had been driven out by Nigerians,” Yakasai added.
Highlighting what he described as significant achievements of President Tinubu since taking office in 2023, Yakasai pointed to the removal of fuel subsidy and reforms in the foreign exchange market, which he said disrupted corrupt round-tripping practices by well-connected individuals accessing Central Bank of Nigeria resources.
On the opposition side, the ADC revealed it would hold a conference aimed at rallying support from the Diaspora for the 2027 elections.
The national chairman of ADC, Chief Ralph Okey Nwosu, while speaking in Abuja, said the event is part of a broader initiative to form a viable coalition for national transformation.
Nwosu noted the conference, titled “Imperative of Diaspora Leadership in Building the Coalition for Change and National Transformation in Nigeria and Africa,” will bring together politicians and technocrats to demonstrate that the coalition enjoys broad-based support.
“Nigerians, including most Diasporas, are determined to make their contribution to ensure our country’s rejuvenation and the continent’s renaissance,” he stated.
