President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent remarks branding the opposition alliance as a “coalition of confusion” have sparked more than just a political skirmish they’ve exposed the growing unease within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In a democracy, opposition is not only expected; it is essential. Yet, when a sitting president uses a platform like the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting to dismiss and ridicule that opposition, it’s fair to ask is this confidence or concern?
At the center of this controversy is the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which appears to be consolidating strength ahead of the 2027 elections. The party has attracted major figures from across the political spectrum, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party leader Peter Obi. Tinubu’s jibe, which described those fleeing other parties as “abandoning a sinking ship” and joining a “coalition of confusion,” was clearly aimed at undermining this growing unity.
Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC’s interim spokesperson, wasted no time in firing back. “What exactly is there to address?” he asked. “How can the president of a democratic country speak of the opposition in such a way? Abdullahi maintained that the APC’s rhetoric reflected an inability to tolerate genuine opposition. “This kind of language shows the APC’s clear intolerance for any opposition. They are unsettled, even angry, about the ADC’s rise, a party determined to stop their mission of turning Nigeria into a one-party state.” Abdullahi’s reaction wasn’t just about protecting his party’s image. It was a statement of principle and a reflection of what many Nigerians are beginning to feel that the APC, once an opposition party itself, now struggles to handle real dissent.
The Nation Digest News gathered statements from other opposition voices, including Peter Ameh of the Conference of United Political Parties (CUPP), who viewed Tinubu’s comments as a thinly veiled show of anxiety. “It’s a sign of political anxiety masked as confidence,” he said in Abuja. “The coalition of confusion is only confusing to those it threatens.”
On social media, reactions poured in. “If it doesn’t bother you, why always throw stones at it?” asked @MmonesiOku49343 on X (formerly Twitter). Another user, @Gbains09, wrote: “ADC is not even a ship yet… but the ship in this context is APC, and from the look of it, it’s the sinking ship.”
These sentiments reveal more than mere party loyalty. They reflect a deeper frustration among voters who are watching political elites focus more on posturing than on delivering results.
Also Read: Can ADC Actually Dislodge Tinubu in 2027? Aregbesola Thinks So—But Only If Members Unite
Beyond Regional Politics: Hashim’s Call for Competence Over Tribe
Amid the heated exchange between the APC and ADC, another voice of reason emerged, Dr Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim. In a separate statement, the former presidential candidate argued that the country’s future doesn’t lie in zoning or tribal loyalties, but in electing a capable leader. “Nigeria does not need a southern or northern president,” he declared. “What our country urgently needs is a good president.”
Hashim’s statement cuts through the political noise and asks Nigerians to reflect: do regional sentiments still drive our choices more than competence and integrity?
Drawing on history, he cited Kano’s rejection of their son Bashir Tofa in favor of Chief MKO Abiola in 1993, as well as Lagos and Gboko’s more recent votes that crossed tribal lines. “These are testaments to our national maturity,” Hashim said. And he’s not wrong. Despite politicians’ constant attempts to revive old divides, many voters are looking for solutions, not slogans.
Social media also echoes this mood. @NnebeIfean41943 noted bluntly, “Nothing about governance. Just politics and only politics.” Meanwhile, @oladdytwo2 called out the President’s obsession with the opposition: “If there’s a sinking ship, it’s definitely the one carrying the illegitimate president.”
Hashim warned against falling into the same traps that have delayed Nigeria’s progress. “Those advocating for a southern or northern presidency are not doing so for the people but for their own stomachs,” he said. His words come as a wake-up call. Nigeria’s problems are national, not regional. They won’t be solved by moving the presidency from one zone to another, but by insisting on leadership that puts competence first.
The ADC appears to echo this sentiment in their messaging. By positioning themselves as a coalition of interests beyond tribal and religious divides, they hope to change the narrative from ‘where are you from?’ to ‘what can you do?’ That’s a narrative shift worth watching, and perhaps, embracing.
Is the Coalition Growing or Just Rebranding?
While Tinubu and the APC battle the “coalition of confusion” in public, another layer of political maneuvering is unfolding behind closed doors. Barely a day after news emerged that Professor Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda might replace Ganduje as APC chairman, a major northern political bloc the National Political Consultative Group (NPCG) convened to plot a counter-strategy.
From the outside, this looks like a regional power play. But it’s also a sign that the ADC’s efforts to unify opposition forces — especially in the North may be gaining traction. The Nation Digest News confirmed that the meeting will discuss how to “domesticate the ADC” as the northern coalition’s vehicle for 2027, a significant step toward legitimizing the party beyond fringe status.
According to a source familiar with the plan, the ADC’s appeal is growing because it represents “something different from the APC and PDP both of which have betrayed different parts of the country at different times.” The plan is to nominate two delegates per state to speak, and each state will send 50 people to shape a northern consensus.
The tone of this gathering differs from the noise in Abuja. While national figures throw barbs, northern strategists are quietly organizing, adjusting zoning formulas, and managing religious and ethnic sensitivities to create a workable front. It’s not just a coalition of confusion. It’s a coalition in transition and that distinction matters.
On X, @BabasolaThanni warned: “APC needs to be careful now that CPC/ANPP may quit the alliance.” The once-ruling coalition that propelled Buhari to power is splintering. And those fractures might just be the cracks through which a reinvigorated opposition coalition squeezes its way to relevance.
Yet there’s also skepticism. “That sinking and confusion coalition will swallow you come 2027 by God’s grace,” wrote @odetu94072, implying that the chaos might still be too much to overcome. But even so, chaos breeds momentum — and momentum, in politics, is everything.
Who Truly Fears the Coalition?
President Tinubu’s description of the ADC-led opposition as a “coalition of confusion” was meant to delegitimize a political threat. Instead, it may have elevated it. What was once a scattered opposition is now beginning to look more like a deliberate force with strategies, supporters, and a story to tell.
The criticism from the President, coupled with harsh economic realities and rising discontent, could ironically make the “coalition of confusion” a rallying point for many disillusioned Nigerians. This is not to say that the ADC or any of its allied parties have all the answers. But when a sitting president goes out of his way to mention you every time he holds a microphone, you’re clearly doing something right or at least something threatening.
In the end, the future of Nigeria will not be decided by name-calling or party loyalty. It will be decided by the will of the people, who are growing increasingly tired of recycled faces and broken promises.
The question is no longer whether there’s a coalition. It’s whether it will mature into a credible alternative before 2027 and whether the ruling party fears it enough to actually start listening to Nigerians again.
Do you think the so-called coalition of confusion is Nigeria’s best hope for change, or just more of the same with new packaging? Share your thoughts in the comments or with us at The Nation Digest News. We want to hear what you think because in a true democracy, every voice counts.
