A support group, The Grassroot Governance Performance Awareness Network Initiative (GGPANI), has described the emerging coalition of political parties and politicians (G-100) seeking to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition as a ‘failure on arrival’.
The group said that the alliance is driven largely by personal vendetta and political interests rather than the welfare of Nigerians.
National Leader of GGPANI, Alhaji Korede Quadri (KQ), made the position known in a statement on Wednesday, saying those behind the coalition do not represent the genuine interests of the Nigerian masses.
Quadri said many of the politicians now positioning themselves against President Tinubu were either beneficiaries of the old fuel subsidy regime or political actors who became aggrieved after losing political influence and access to power.
According to him, the coalition is coming at a time when Nigerians are beginning to experience what he described as the benefits of the reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly following the removal of fuel subsidy.
‘The coalition of some political parties trying to gang-up against the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the upcoming 2027 elections is, to us, a failure on arrival. The people putting themselves together are largely driven by personal vendetta and do not represent the interest of Nigerians.’
Quadri argued that the removal of fuel subsidy, despite the initial economic difficulties associated with the policy, has enabled the Federal Government to generate additional resources which have subsequently been deployed to support development across the states and local governments.
He said the Federal Government has continued to share the gains from the subsidy removal with the sub-national governments to enable them provide infrastructure and other services for the people.
‘The masses already know the gains of fuel subsidy removal. President Tinubu has continued to use the gains from the removal to build and give to the sub-national governments to cater for the development of the masses. Now that the masses will start to enjoy the effect of subsidy removal and autonomy of local government administration, some people are coming together to set the clock backwards.’
The GGPANI leader also defended the Federal Government’s handling of the foreign exchange crisis, recalling that there were widespread speculations ahead of the 2023 elections that the naira could depreciate to about N2,000 to the dollar.
He said that although the country experienced a significant exchange rate shock following the reforms, the situation subsequently witnessed periods of stability, which he attributed to measures taken by the Tinubu administration and renewed interest from foreign investors.
Quadri further linked the administration’s economic policies to developments in the nation’s refining sector, arguing that the reforms have contributed to creating an environment capable of supporting investment and a functioning domestic refinery.
‘Ahead of 2023, there were speculations that a dollar might rise to N2,000. Unfortunately, when the collapse happened, there was stability in the exchange rate courtesy of the Tinubu-led Federal Government. Foreign investors have also been coming in for investments, and this has helped the nation to have a formidable functioning refinery.’
He alleged that some of the individuals opposed to President Tinubu’s re-election were among those who had historically benefited from preferential access to foreign exchange and other economic opportunities, adding that such interests should not be allowed to override the collective interest of Nigerians.
Quadri also questioned the political compatibility of some of the leading figures associated with the emerging coalition, particularly over comments reportedly made by one of its spokespersons on national television suggesting that Peter Obi was better than the other presidential contenders within the coalition.
He asked whether such a position meant Obi was considered superior to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, under whom Obi served as running mate in the 2019 presidential election, or Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP.
‘If Obi is better than all the presidential candidates in the coalition, as one of the coalition spokespersons reportedly said on national television, does that mean Obi is better than Atiku, whom he was Vice Presidential Candidate to in 2019, or better than Kwankwaso, who was the parallel presidential candidate of the NNPP in 2023?’
The GGPANI National Leader further recalled that some of the politicians now participating in the coalition were involved in political opposition to President Tinubu during the 2022 All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential primary and the 2023 general election.
He alleged that some of them worked against Tinubu’s emergence during the APC primary and subsequently opposed his election in 2023, only to return to the political arena under a new coalition after failing to secure the influence they sought.
‘Some of them who ganged up against President Tinubu in 2023 in the APC are now present in the coalition because they lost out, simply because they worked against his APC primary election in 2022 and eventually against his election in 2023. Now they are back in the coalition because they could not get power to continue to use it to suppress the masses as they did in the past.’
Quadri described the development as political vendetta rather than a genuine movement for national transformation, saying the coalition should be honest with Nigerians about its objectives instead of repeatedly invoking the name of the Nigerian masses.
He maintained that political actors seeking power for personal reasons should not disguise their ambitions as a struggle for the people.
‘They keep saying Nigerians in their speeches, but they could have been direct and not pitch the masses against the President for their own interests. Nigerians deserve to know whether this is truly about their welfare or about the personal political interests of those involved.’
According to him, Nigerians are becoming increasingly conscious of the democratic process and are capable of making independent electoral decisions based on their assessment of government performance.
He cited the Federal Government’s support for education through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, as one of the areas where resources from government reforms are being deployed to expand access to higher education.
‘Nigerians are beginning to enjoy the gains of the democratic process as against how it used to be, and Nigerians are now wise enough to stand firmly on their electoral decisions. Many children can now go to the university as the proceeds from oil subsidy removal and the exchange rate reforms are being used to fund NELFUND for seamless university pursuits.’
Quadri insisted that the political coalition would not succeed in reversing the direction of the country’s ongoing reforms through what he described as blackmail, envy and hatred against the President.
He said GGPANI was convinced that Nigerians at the grassroots were increasingly recognising the benefits of the administration’s policies and would support the continuation of the Tinubu/Shettima administration in 2027.
‘No amount of blackmail, envious statements and hatred will stop the re-election of President Bola Tinubu come 2027. We in the Grassroot Governance Performance Awareness Network Initiative, GGPANI, are convinced, and we know that the masses are with the candidature of Tinubu/Shettima to continue as President and Vice President in 2027.’
The GGPANI National Leader therefore advised the politicians behind the emerging coalition to study the principles and history of successful political coalitions, saying genuine coalitions should be established around the interests of the people rather than personal ambitions.
‘They should go and learn how coalition really works for the best interest of the people and not for the personal gains of some selected few.’
Quadri urged Nigerians to remain discerning and judge political parties and candidates by their policies, records, intentions and commitment to the welfare of ordinary citizens ahead of the 2027 general elections.