A coalition of letdowns, By Olabode Opeseitan

The ADC coalition is the crudest joke ever by an opposition group desirous of wresting power from the ruling party in Nigeria.

There is little or no current electoral value. No vision was shared apart from a desperation to grab power at all costs. No alternative superior plan was disclosed. The coalition has little pedigree of excellence in public service to showcase.

Take, for instance, the record of Rauf Aregbesola. As Minister of the Interior, he failed to resolve any of the challenges he inherited in the prisons, immigration services, and border management throughout his tenure. In stark contrast, his successor, Olubunmi Ojo, has, within just two years, transformed the ministry. The backlog of passport applications has been cleared nationwide, and it is now significantly easier for Nigerians to obtain passports both at home and abroad. Immigration services at Nigerian airports have been automated, greatly improving efficiency and giving citizens a renewed sense of pride. Notably, border control has also seen substantial improvement.

Scholars should list this as a case study on how not to form a political coalition. It was a big letdown.

This comparison makes it clear: having been given the opportunity to demonstrate capability and falling short, it is ridiculous to claim to offer better prospects than those who have succeeded in addressing the very issues you neglected.

Another telling example is Abubakar Malami, the former Attorney General of the Federation. Under his watch, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)—an agency reporting directly to him—was mired in controversy, from persistent allegations of corruption against Malami himself to the EFCC’s mishandling of recovered assets and poor prosecution records. Today, however, recovered loots are transparently channelled into funding critical national projects, such as the student loan scheme, marking a clear departure from the past.

These examples underscore the point: the coalition’s leading figures have already had their chance to serve and left much to be desired. Their track records do not inspire confidence in their ability to deliver superior governance or meaningful change.

Scholars should list this as a case study on how not to form a political coalition. It was a big letdown.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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