Gbajabiamila made the comments on Saturday during the Local Government Area Councilorship and Chairmanship election in Surulere, Lagos State.

President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed support for the formation of a new opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as a healthy sign for Nigeria’s democracy, even as he questioned its long-term viability.

Gbajabiamila made the comments on Saturday during the Local Government Area Councilorship and Chairmanship election in Surulere, Lagos State.

Speaking to journalists after casting his vote at Elizabeth Fowler Memorial Primary School, the former Speaker of the House of Representatives said the coalition's emergence signaled broader political participation.

He underlined the importance of a vibrant opposition in Nigeria’s evolving democratic space.

He welcomed the move by key opposition figures to adopt the ADC as their new platform ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“This is a healthy development for democracy,” he said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

“Democracy without opposition is not democracy. There has to be a robust and virile opposition that keeps the government on its toes.”

However, Gbajabiamila did not shy away from expressing doubts about the sustainability and seriousness of the coalition.

“However, for whatever the coalition is worth, I am not sure where it will go — that is, if it will go anywhere,” he stated.

Despite his scepticism, Gbajabiamila insisted that the presence of alternative voices is vital for Nigeria's political development and national growth.

“People must have options and choices. It is only through such competition that we deepen democratic values and improve governance,” he added.

His remarks come amid rising interest in the new opposition alliance, which includes prominent political actors such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-Senate President David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and others.
The opposition bloc has adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its common platform in a bid to dislodge President Tinubu in 2027. Opposition leaders have accused the Tinubu administration of dragging the country backwards and vowed to “send Tinubu packing from the Aso Villa.”
Nonetheless, Tinubu’s camp appears unfazed. Daniel Bwala, a former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar’s 2023 presidential campaign who has since aligned with Tinubu as a media aide, poured cold water on the coalition’s prospects.
“The ADC coalition has no 'alternative facts, alternative policies or alternative programmes,'” Bwala said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He went further to cast doubt on the political future of his former principal. “There is my former principal who believes that he is going to win,” Bwala said, referring to Atiku, before adding: “In all honesty, I have expressed my opinion that it may never have been destined by God for him to be a president in Nigeria because he has done everything he needs to do to be president and he did not win the presidency.
“2023 was the biggest opportunity that my former principal Atiku Abubakar had. He will never have that kind of privilege again,” he concluded.
The unfolding developments underscore growing political tension ahead of the next general election cycle, as both camps seek to shape narratives and strategies leading into 2027.
While Tinubu’s allies express confidence in his staying power, the newly formed coalition is banking on public discontent and political realignment to mount a serious challenge. Whether the ADC coalition can weather internal disagreements and present a united front remains to be seen.