Paul Ibe, Media Adviser to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has explained why many leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition are eager to be president.

He said the opposition leaders were angry with the “mess” President Bola Tinubu has made of Nigeria.

Many political observers have warned that the ADC coalition could run into crisis over its presidential ticket for the 2027 election.

Leaders of the party believed to be nursing presidential ambitions include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former governors Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and Nasir El-Rufai.

While Amaechi lost the 2023 APC ticket to Tinubu, Atiku and Obi were the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party (LP), respectively.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Atiku’s aide said the opposition leaders were angry that Nigerians have been plunged into hardship under Tinubu’s watch.

Ibe said, “The ADC Coalition leaders are angry with the mess that Tinubu has made of Nigeria.

“They’re angry at how the material condition of the average citizen has deteriorated. They’re angry at how Nigerians have become poorer.

“They’re angry at the skyrocketing prices of food. They’re angry that even the minimum wage cannot not even buy a bag of rice because the Tinubu-led APC administration’s policies have snowballed inflation.

“They’re livid at the worsening insecurity that has left Nigerians at the mercy of terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and marauding bloodthirsty killers.”

He added, “Their anger is in response to the collective anger of Nigerians who are desirous of a change.”

Ibe said it was not wrong for the leaders to show eagerness to be president given the present challenges facing Nigerians.

He stated, “There’s nothing wrong in all of them wanting to be president.

“The delegates of the party will, at the appropriate time, determine who will be the presidential candidate.

“That is DEMOCRACY (as opposed to Tinubu’s DICTATORSHIP) at work.

“What is wrong is when you sign up to be president like Tinubu, and your era is marked by incompetence and cluelessness. That is a waste of opportunity.” (Daily Sun)