The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of showing intolerance towards opposition parties, saying the APC is clearly unsettled by the ADC’s rising influence.

The accusation comes after President Tinubu, while addressing the APC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, described the opposition coalition led by the ADC as a ‘coalition of confusion.’

Speaking exclusively to Vanguard, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the President’s remarks exposed the ruling party’s unease with the growing momentum of the ADC.

“What exactly is there to address? How can the president of a democratic country speak of the opposition in such a way? It says a lot,” Abdullahi said.

During the APC NEC meeting on 24 July 2025, Tinubu appeared to take a swipe at the ADC, which has recently gained support from top opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi.

“It’s not a bad idea to abandon a sinking ship and be absent from a coalition of confusion,” Tinubu said, a comment widely seen as an attempt to discredit opposition unity and lure defectors to the APC.

However, Abdullahi argued that the APC’s response showed it could not handle 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,” he said.

He explained that the APC had grown used to acting without challenge, due to a weak opposition in recent years.

“For too long, the APC has enjoyed unchecked power, making decisions without proper scrutiny. But now, the ADC has stepped up, taken its place as a serious opposition force, and the APC is clearly worried,” Abdullahi added.

He said President Tinubu, in particular, seems disturbed by the ADC’s increasing popularity.

“President Tinubu is especially uncomfortable with the way the ADC is gaining ground and being accepted across the country,” he said.

With the ADC now serving as a rallying platform for leading opposition figures like Atiku and Obi, political tensions are rising ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Still, Abdullahi made it clear that the ADC remains committed to challenging the APC’s dominance and offering Nigerians a strong and credible alternative. (Vanguard)