Opposition coalition will take Nigeria backward, says Ex-ADC presidential candidate

The 2023 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu, has criticised the political alliance, which recently adopted the party as its operational platform for the 2027 elections.

Speaking on Wednesday’s edition of Channels TV’s Politics Today, Kachikwu described members of the newly formed opposition coalition as “enemies of Nigeria” who are determined to drag the nation backward.

“They are enemies of Nigeria. They are enemies of progress. Nigerians can no longer be fooled. Nigerians from all walks of life watched the video—I just saw it today—and what you saw in that hall were ‘former’ this and ‘former’ that: former Vice President, former governors, former ministers. All these ‘formers’ are taking Nigeria back to its former glory. They’ve never taken us forward,” the ex-presidential candidate stated.

In a criticism, the ADC flagbearer lamented the recycling of leaders who he said had brought Nigeria to its current state.

He said, “These same people have ruled Nigeria for the last four decades. Where are we as a country? A nation where 80 per cent of the population is poor. And now they pretend to be the fire brigade, trying to put out the fire they started. Seventy per cent of our population are youths—where were the youths in that gathering? What we saw was a bunch of geriatrics. Seventy per cent of them are above 75 years old, and yet they claim they want to rescue Nigeria.

“These are political jobbers, career office holders. All they do from 9 to 5 is sit at home and complain about the government. That’s not opposition—that’s self-service. I weep for Nigerians. I weep for my generation that lost the opportunity for leadership. The same people I watched on television as a child, read about in the news, are the same people still ruling us—and they still want to rule us. They have nothing to offer. We are living in a new age.”

Condemning the coalition’s adoption of the ADC, Kachikwu accused the group of hijacking the party through illegitimate means, saying ” The manner in which they came—through the back door—shows you who they are. They are back-door people. I’m opposed to viruses and bacteria entering my party. People who destroyed Nigeria cannot claim to be the ones to fix it”.