In a thunderous riposte to the fledgling opposition alliance, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has branded the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition “a sham of self‑interest” and dared its architects to “show their scorecards” instead of peddling tales of national discontent.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Aguma Palace–Radio Nigeria–New Market road in Gwagwalada, Wike questioned why, just 18 months into President Bola Tinubu’s tenure, a motley crew of former office‑holders has already conspired to unseat an administration they profess to find inadequate.
Wike noted that President Tinubu assumed office on 29 May 2023, yet the ADC coalition—formally unveiled in January 2025—claims Nigerians are “angry” over perceived underperformance.
“So, you started a coalition when he was barely six months in office?” he scoffed. “Eighteen months ago you began plotting against him. When will you stop deceiving Nigerians?”.
By contrast, Wike contrasted Tinubu’s record of commissioning critical infrastructure—such as the rehabilitated Aguma Palace, Radio Nigeria and New Market roads, which now serve thousands of daily commuters—with the opposition’s lacklustre legacy.
Casting a spotlight on individual ambitions festering within the ADC camp, Wike singled out former Senate President David Mark (who helmed the Red Chamber for eight years) and ex‑Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi (eight years at the federal helm) as emblematic of squandered opportunities.
“Operation ‘Show Your Scorecard,’” he declared, insisting they produce tangible metrics of achievement—new roads linking Otukpo, improved power supply in Benue, or any initiative that transformed ordinary Nigerians’ lives—rather than indulging in “elitist rhetoric”.
His withering challenge undercut the coalition’s claim to moral high ground, recasting it as “Operation Grievance” in search of a platform.
Wike’s critique extended to the ADC’s internal power struggles and zoning wrangles.
Barely a day after ADC leaders touted unity, cracks emerged as Rotimi Amaechi insisted on a single term presidency and advocated a Southern consensus ticket, while Peter Obi’s camp—backed by Yusuf Datti Baba‑Ahmed—clamoured for the ex‑Labour Party standard‑bearer to occupy the presidential slot.
These early fissures underscore the party’s volatile mix of personalities—Atiku Abubakar, the ever‑vetting Northerner, eyeing a seventh presidential bid; Nasir El‑Rufai, nostalgic for regional hegemony; and Obi, the youthful insurgent—each dragging the coalition into zoning deadlocks and factional squabbles.
Perhaps most pointed was Wike’s rebuke of the coalition’s endorsement of Atiku Abubakar, whom he lampooned as “the party‑jumper-in-chief” for hopping through five parties since 1999—PDP to ANPP, back to PDP, then LP, and now ADC.
This litany of defections, Wike argued, bespeaks a transactional politics devoid of ideology or vision, reducing the 2027 contest to a carousel of opportunists rather than a genuine battle for national renewal.
With “Operation Show Your Scorecard” now the ruling coalition’s rallying cry, the opposition stands on shaky ground.
Will the ADC’s high‑profile contenders defy Wike’s gauntlet and publicise audited records of their tenures?
Or will the coalition’s infighting and power struggles prove its undoing before the 2027 ballot even opens?
For Nigeria’s electorate, the question is stark: are they to be swayed by recycled complaints or by verifiable achievements?
Wike’s challenge ensures that the answer will be demanded—and that any pretender to power must emerge with demonstrable proof of past performance.
