The National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has criticised the leadership changes in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the move by proponents of a so-called coalition as a political jamboree that violates electoral laws and party procedures.

Speaking with The Nation on Sunday, Basiru dismissed the notion of a viable coalition, insisting that many Nigerians are being misled or are ignorant of the true meaning of a political coalition.

“A coalition is a temporary alliance for the purpose of forming government, and it is more appropriate in parliamentary systems when no party secures a majority,” he said. “In a presidential system like ours, the idea of a coalition is inappropriate—it’s just a grand illusion.”

He added that the recent events within the ADC are more accurately the result of frustrated politicians defecting from their original parties rather than the formation of any legitimate coalition.

Basiru also denied claims that the APC is rattled by the emergence of the group, dismissing its leaders as “internally displaced politicians” seeking relevance.

“As a party administrator, I understand what it means to join a political party and assume leadership. What we are seeing in ADC is not leadership—it’s a circus,” he said.

“As of today, you may go to the website of the INEC, nothing has changed in terms of leadership structure of the ADC, notwithstanding the jamboree that they are talking about. There are procedures in the culture of any party as to how people assume leadership.

“The desperation of this individual also did not let them advance the fact that even some of the nomenclature they are using is not appropriate. You cannot say you are a protem chairman or national secretary of a political party that is already in existence. It’s either you are a substantive chairman or you are an acting chairman.

“The term protem is used when a political party is still in the formation. The ADC has been a party that has been registered before. So if you are becoming an acting chairman or acting secretary, what it the procedure for which you have emerged.

“Then when you have an assemblage of people who are not even members of that political party, to say that you have assumed leadership, I think it’s more of a circus show.”

“The PDP is a sinking platform and the fact that Atiku Abubarkar who was the presidential candidate of the party had himself go to join ADC is a vote of no confidence on PDP.”

He noted that Tinubu’s style of governance showed that he is a detribalized president who is carried along all regions, highlighting that “N120bn was given to Gombe to boost livestock farming, Kastina governor commended FG, Kaduna lauded Tinubu and many more states.”