Adetokunbo Pearse, a former candidate for governor of Lagos and a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has characterized the coalition of opposition parties that is being planned to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027 as unworkable and lacking in strategic direction.
A member of the PDP National Presidential Campaign Council for 2023 and the Convener of the Reset Lagos PDP, Pearse, voiced his worries in an exclusive interview.
He called the endeavor a “wild goose chase,” but he acknowledged the coalition’s genuine intentions, citing the terrible governance of the ruling party.
Using Nigeria’s political history as support, Pearse contended that previous political coalitions had mostly failed.
He referred to the dissolution of 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 occurred shortly after.
He pointed out that this failure resulted in yet another failed alliance between the Nigerian National Democratic Party (NNDP), the breakaway section of the Action Group (AG), and the NPC.
He claimed that the fabricated alliances were a factor in political instability, which included the 1966 military takeover that resulted in the Nigeria-Biafra conflict and civil unrest in the Western Region.
More recent instances were also cited by Pearse, including the failed attempts to join the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) prior to the 2019 general elections.
He blamed the opposition’s downfall on internal strife, a lack of cohesive leadership, and acrimonious rivalries, all of which contributed to the APC’s reelection.
He clarified that Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Buhari’s Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) successfully merged in 2013 because of their shared needs.
Pearse cautioned that the best approach to defeat the APC in 2027 is not by forming a coalition but rather by fortifying the PDP’s current structure, warning against putting “quantity over quality” in opposition tactics.
He maintained that a PDP victory would have been certain if Atiku had not quadrupled Tinubu’s vote total in 2023 if Peter Obi had not added LP as a third force.
He insisted that rather than changing the PDP’s name, the party should concentrate on strengthening its current base of support, especially among Christian populations in the North and the South East.
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According to Pearse, the PDP is still the only strong opposition party in Nigeria, holding 12 governors, 38% of the Senate, 43% of the House of Representatives, and significant sway over state and local governments.
To sum up, those Nigerians who want to protect their nation from the APC’s apocalyptic rule ought to back the PDP’s efforts to remove Tinubu in 2027. Supporting a fake alliance will only help the APC hold onto power, he said.
He further claimed that the ruling party saw the APC as its primary opponent, as evidenced by its concentration on internalizing the PDP.
“Why has APC invested so much effort in weakening PDP internally if it is not afraid of PDP?” he asked.
