By Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf

The opposition politicians who, on 6 July, coalesced under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), did some good for Nigerians, but did not make them proud.

First, they raised issues of the lack of democracy, transparency, and discipline within political parties.

Second, they have been showing interest, even if not commitment and determination, in dislodging the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and replace Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as president – one who has been treating Nigerian masses as conquered, enslaved, colonised, and lifeless people.

But ADC has not made Nigerians proud because its major concern is with itself – to win the 2027 presidential elections. Which is why the debate amongst the party gladiators and activists is: Who will become its presidential candidate? Should the unwritten but widely accepted zoning formula be upheld or discarded? Should the presidential candidate emerge by popular consensus or party primaries?

But party democracy for whom, what, and why? Is a presidential candidate Nigeria’s problem? Are most of the ADC gladiators, activists, and followers not from APC and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)? Are these not the only parties that have ruled Nigeria since 1999?

Let us assume, without conceding, that the ADC gladiators and activists are born-again democrats and patriots: what is their agenda for Nigerians? What differentiates them from APC?

Like APC, the 2027 presidential election is what ADC is primarily interested in! No programme or agenda about the rest of us. Just who emerges as the presidential candidate. No talks on how it will transparently and democratically throw-up candidates for local, state, and National Assembly elections.

No talks on how ADC differs from APC, PDP, Labour Party and even the New Nigerian People’s Party. Just party-building, party democracy, party aspirants, and so on. Always polemics against APC! Now and then celebrating how it is hitting APC! Some even say ADC is the government-in-waiting, come 2027.

But what does ADC have for Nigerians? Other than the general and lifeless condemnation of Tinubunomics, as “catastrophic”, ADC has no known economic agenda for Nigeria. It describes Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidies, the devaluation of the naira, and fiscal policy as “catastrophic.” So what is its alternative?

Like APC, ADC will provide a “safety net”. But, unlike APC, it will be adequate “safety nets”. Have the “safety nets” provided since the General Ibrahim Babangida days tackled the disastrous effects of International Monetary Fund and World Bank witchcraft economism? No! If anything, studies show that safety nets are largely for the wrong people; not the petty traders, farmers, underemployed, unemployed, and vulnerable masses!

So, the question is: What concrete policies has the ADC for Nigeria? Will it adopt a state-driven development policy, instead of only private sector driven development? Will it adopt a home-initiated, propelled and driven economic policy, in which we produce what we consume and consume what we produce?

Will ADC adopt and enforce policies in which there will be value-addition to our raw materials? Will it initiate, creatively promote, and defend home industries, as Nigeria did in the 1960s and 1970s? These are policies which significantly built state-capacity, grew the economy, ensured security, developed Nigerians educationally, socially, and culturally, while also making Nigeria respected and feared globally.

If yes, will ADC allow for the full operation of government petroleum refineries? Will it also license new refineries, and allow modular refineries to operate freely? Or, will it continue exporting crude oil and importing refined products?

What about electricity? There can be no democracy and development without adequate, regular, cheap, and affordable electricity? Will ADC reverse the privatisation of the state electricity company and allow it to fairly and justly compete with private ones? Or, will it continue speaking the baseless grammar that past governments spoke, and the current one is speaking?

Like APC, ADC is not crying against terrorism; genocidal activities; crimes against humanity; the destruction of farms; and the mass sack and displacement of people; including the seizure and take-over of people’s ancestral lands by Fulani terrorists.

Neither has the ADC, like the APC, politically acted against the rape of women; infanticide; illegal imposition of taxes on rural dwellers; kidnappings; invasion of places of worship; killing of clerics and worshippers, amongst others, by terrorists.

ADC’s silence on these matters definitely shows that it has no agenda to tackle the insecurity, genocide, terrorism, and crimes against humanity ravaging Nigeria. Yet, these are currently the burning issues confronting Nigeria. They are the major reasons why foodstuffs and the cost of living are rising increasingly. They are the major factors responsible for the increasing militarisation of the society, and general distrust and dislike of the state by society.

My question is, what will ADC do about insecurity, genocidal attacks and terrorism? Will it give the security forces the resources, deadline and free hand to make the terrorists history? Will they allow Nigerians to arm and defend themselves?

Or, will it glorify and encourage terrorism by negotiating with the terrorists, as some APC Governors did and are doing? Will the ADC, like APC, handover the security apparati to politicians and security personnel that are allegedly sympathetic and supportive of the terrorists? Or, will it, like APC, keep promising, but never seriously ting to end insecurity? Or, will it, like APC, keep shamelessly and stupidly lying that security has improved?

Like the APC, the ADC does not have policies addressing the problems of Nigeria’s divides. What has it been like for the dormant Hausa majority and ethnic minority nationalities, who have largely been relegated to background in the affairs of the state and society?

What programme has it for the female gender, the elderly, workers, farmers, people with disabilities, out-of-school-children, and internally displaced persons scattered all over Nigeria? What about the countless orphans, widows, homeless, refugees, and beggars that Boko Haram and terrorists created?

What about our military, police and other security personnel that were maimed, physically disabled, mentally deranged, forgotten, abandoned, and compelled to fend for themselves in hospitals and their homes? National heroes who gallantly fought terrorism and sacrificed themselves so that the rest of society will be secured?

What policies has the ADC to develop our universities, hospitals, and industries, or, at least, return them to what they were during the Second Republic? What solid programmes does it have to discourage the mass exodus of Nigerian academics, professionals, and youths all over the world?

That the ADC is a “new” coalition is not an excuse for lacking any agenda for Nigerians. If the forces that coalesced had Nigerians in their minds, they would in their pre-coalition meetings have amalgamated on the basis of a common agenda of democracy, development, security, and the well-being of Nigerians.

Finally, even if ADC has a good and well-articulated agenda for Nigerians, can it execute such agenda, when most of its gladiators, activists and followers are from the Buhari wing of the APC – one that is notoriously heartless, thoroughly vicious, extremely conservative, awfully divisive, politically reactionary, ethnically chauvinistic, religiously jingoistic, and incurably kleptomaniac? Except for their middle letters, what in reality is the difference between APC and ADC?

Ahmed Aminu-Ramatu Yusuf worked as deputy director, Cabinet Affairs Office, The Presidency, and retired as General Manager (Administration), Nigerian Meteorological Agency, (NiMet). Email: aaramatuyusuf@yahoo.com 

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