The Presidency has dismissed the newly formed opposition coalition backed by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as a hollow alliance driven by personal ambition rather than national interest. In a sharp rebuttal posted Thursday on X (formerly Twitter), the Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, Mr. Sunday Dare, drew a clear distinction between the current political arrangement and the historic All Progressives Congress (APC) merger of 2013.

Reacting to reports of the coalition’s launch, he said the comparison to the APC’s successful alliance that led to victory in the 2015 general elections was both misplaced and delusional.

“The promoters of the new coalition like to draw parallels with what the APC achieved in 2013. But let’s be clear: this is not 2013—and this is not the APC,” Mr Sunday Dare wrote.

According to him, the APC was born out of sacrifice, discipline, and national purpose, with leaders like Asiwaju Bola Tinubu prioritising collective interest over personal ambition. He contrasted that with what he described as an opportunistic coalition led by a “serial election loser,” desperate for relevance and lacking any real political structure or support.

“Unlike Tinubu, he enters the coalition alone—without the backing of his state governor, his region, or any meaningful political structure. His ambition is personal, not patriotic. So also that of his many co-travelers.”

He went on to explain that the 2013 APC merger was strategic, with a rallying figure in then-General Muhammadu Buhari, widely viewed as a national symbol of integrity and grassroots trust.

“Today, no one in this coalition commands that kind of loyalty or trust. Not one of them could genuinely unite a ward, let alone a country,” Mr Sunday Dare argued.

He further criticized the coalition’s motivations, calling them opportunistic and untimely, and said there was no injustice or imbalance to address, unlike the situation leading to the 2013 APC merger, which aimed to end what he called “16 years of ruinous PDP rule” and to restore constitutional balance.

“The presidency already rests with the region rightfully due. And that’s where it will be till 2031.”