IN the ever-changing landscape of Nigerian politics, alliances are forged and broken with alarming regularity. From the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the fledgling coalitions of 2019 and beyond, the quest for power and relevance has driven politicians to form partnerships.
The ICIR takes a look at the history of recent coalitions in Nigeria and what they reveal about Nigeria’s political landscape.
The emergence of the APC
In February 2013, three opposition parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), and the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP)- came together to form the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This coalition also integrated a breakaway faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) led by then Imo State Gnnovernor, Rochas Okorocha, and a faction of the then-ruling People’s Democratic Party (n-PDP) led by former vice president Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, and others.
The formation of the APC paved the way for its victory in the 2015 presidential election, with Muhammadu Buhari emerging as the winner. He defeated then incumbent Goodluck Jonathan. Buhari also won again in 2019, thereby spending 8 years as the president of Nigeria.
The APC’s success at the polls was repeated in 2023, with Bola Tinubu emerging as the president after a closely contested election.
The 2019 coalition experiment
Shortly before the 2019 presidential election, Fela Durotoye of the Alliance for New Nigeria (ANN), Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress (AAC) also attempted to form a coalition known as “Visionary Presidential Aspirants Coming Together” (PACT).
The PACT group consisted of 18 presidential aspirants who initially agreed to elect a consensus candidate, but some opted out before the election.
The trio aimed to build a united front to mobilise Nigerians for change, but their efforts ultimately fell apart.
The group collapsed after a committee formed to pick a consensus candidate from among the aspirants chose Durotoye, but others rejected the outcome. Durotoye, a motivational speaker and businessman, emerged as the consensus candidate for the PACT group, beating candidates like Moghalu and Sowore.
AAC eventually backed Sowore and endorsed him as their presidential candidate.
Durotoye’s ANN and Moghalu’s YPP went ahead to form a different alliance called “The Force” in January 2019, without Sowore’s AAC.
Moghalu and Durotoye agreed to form the coalition ahead of the 2019 general election and agreed to announce who would be their coalition presidential candidate.
The development came a few days after the presidential aspirant of the Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN), Obiageli Ezekwesili, pulled out of the race.
But Moghalu exited the coalition after the vote that brought up Durotoye as the winner, claiming widespread support for his candidacy.
The new coalition ahead of 2027: A threat to the APC?
In March 2025, a new coalition emerged, led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Apart from Atiku, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP, others in the coalition include notable figures like former Anambra State Governor and 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, former governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, and former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi.
According to the group, they aim to consolidate opposition efforts and present a unified front against the APC in the 2027 election.
On July 5, 2025, the coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform and appointed interim leaders, including a former Senate President, David Mark, as National Chairman.
Hurdles for the new coalition
As the 2027 general elections approach, there are hurdles the coalition must overcome. They also face internal and external challenges, including criticism from other opposition groups and potential leadership friction between supporters of Atiku and Obi.
The APC has dismissed the coalition as a gathering of self-interested politicians, with President Tinubu describing it as a “coalition of confusion.”
Meanwhile, key serving politicians have continued to move in droves to the APC despite the coming of the ADC.
Recent defectors to the ruling APC include Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, who led the entire structure of the PDP to the APC; his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa; Akwa Ibom State Governor Umoh Enoh; and serving members of both chambers of the National Assembly, among others.
Okowa was the running mate to Atiku, a former member of the PDP, the main opposition party that has been in tatters as bigwigs have either endorsed the ADC or moved to the APC ahead of the 2027 election.
It is, however, left to be seen if the coalition will succeed or not, but one thing is certain: Nigeria’s political landscape will continue to shift and evolve, driven by the quest for power and relevance.
As politicians navigate the 2027 election terrain, Nigerians are yearning for a better future. Their interests revolve around achieving a more prosperous, stable, and united nation. This desire for a better Nigeria encompasses various aspects, including economic stability, good governance, security, peace, and quality education.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance