Fear and Fascism: Why Nigeria’s Ruling Class Fears the ADC Coalition.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com

In a nation purportedly run under the rule of law, democratic principles and political plurality, what do we call a situation where a government becomes jittery at the mere announcement of a coalition? Where security agencies begin targeting event centres simply because opposition figures are gathering? Where fresh factions are immediately stirred within a party the coalition adopts? One word fits perfectly: TYRANNY.

The recent surge of fear and panic within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Coalition for Revolution is not only suspicious; it is shameful and undemocratic. The coalition is barely operational, yet the reaction from the ruling establishment has been alarmingly disproportionate. This government appears terrified; not of GUNS, not of WAR, but of UNITY. It tells us one thing: the ruling party knows its time is up.

The FRAGILE Ego of POWER.
For a party that has consistently boasted of controlling the majority of state governors, National Assembly members and even local government chairpersons, why then is the APC so rattled by a coalition of frustrated opposition elements and civil society actors? Why is the federal government deploying intimidation tactics rather than welcoming political competition as a hallmark of democracy?

In a sane and functioning democracy, opposition coalitions are celebrated as a sign of political maturity. In Nigeria, it has become a crime to think differently or organize legitimately. Even the event centre billed to host the ADC Coalition unveiling was allegedly threatened with closure by unnamed agents of the state; a pattern disturbingly reminiscent of military dictatorship.

A Government That Knows It Has Failed
This fear is not accidental. It is born from guilt, failure and the burden of unmet promises. Nigeria under the APC has become a global embarrassment. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, over 133 million Nigerians are living in multidimensional poverty. Unemployment is at a record high, with youth unemployment hovering around 53%, while inflation has crossed the 34% mark as of June 2025.

Why wouldn’t the ruling party fear a coalition when the people are angry, the economy is crashing and even their own governors are silently defecting or disassociating themselves from the party’s failures?

The recent wave of governors defecting to the ruling party is not out of loyalty or ideological alignment; it is pure political survival. These governors are seeking to avoid the EFCC knock on their gates or to secure future ambitions. Beneath these defections, the ordinary people are still suffering, and this suffering is what the ADC Coalition seeks to confront.

Manufactured Factions: A Classic APC Playbook
Immediately after the coalition adopted the ADC as its political platform, a mysterious faction emerged claiming to be the “real ADC.” Sound familiar? That is the APC’s classic destabilization strategy. In the past, we saw the same tactic used against the PDP, the Labour Party and even internal dissenters within APC itself. Once a political party shows promise or dares to stand against the status quo, the ruling party sends in their agents to create chaos, confusion and fake leadership tussles.

According to Professor Jibrin Ibrahim, a renowned political scientist and columnist, “The Nigerian political elite thrives on destabilizing alternatives. Any emerging force that can inspire the people becomes an automatic enemy of the state.”

This is not democracy. This is fascism; where government manipulates everything from the judiciary to the police and now even private venues just to hold on to power.

Fear of a United People
Perhaps what scares this government the most is not the ADC Coalition in itself, but the idea of it, the possibility of Nigerian youths, professionals, disenchanted politicians and civil society organizations standing on one platform to say “ENOUGH is ENOUGH.”

For the first time in years, the ADC Coalition is bridging the ethnic, religious and regional divides that have been used as weapons of control. The coalition is becoming a symbol of collective frustration and national unity. It is not just another political party; it is an uprising in suits and sandals.

To quote Femi Falana (SAN), a fearless human rights advocate, “You can cage people with poverty, but the day they unite, your billion naira mansion won’t save you.”

The Real Reason Behind the Crackdown
So why did the government move to frustrate the ADC Coalition unveiling? It SEES the WRITING on the WALL. It FEARS what will happen when Nigerians stop fighting each other and begin fighting back at their real oppressors. It FEARS the embarrassment of facing a coalition that is not built on rigging, godfatherism or bullion vans, but on IDEAS, INTEGRITY and COURAGE.

Just like they feared the EndSARS protesters, this government fears anything ORGANIC, POPULAR and PEOPLE-DRIVEN. They FEAR history repeating itself. They FEAR the candlelight that could start a bonfire of POLITICAL REVOLUTION.

Even more, they FEAR that the upcoming 2027 elections may no longer be business as usual.

The Hypocrisy of the APC’s Power Grab.
Let us not forget: APC itself was a coalition. It came to power in 2015 through the merger of CPC, ACN, ANPP and factions of APGA and PDP. Yet, today, they are violently allergic to coalitions. Isn’t that the height of hypocrisy?

What changed? POWER did. The APC no longer wants fair elections. They now believe in “CAPTURE and CONQUER.” They FEAR the very process that birthed them because they know they can no longer win in a FREE and FAIR contest.

Now, they have resorted to bullying, suppression and faction-planting because they know that if Nigerians are given real options, they will choose competence over corruption, empathy over empire and revolution over repression.

The Road Ahead: Power to the People.
If the ruling party thinks it can stop this revolution by sabotaging an event venue or promoting fake factions, it is grossly underestimating the anger in the land. Nigerians are not just hungry for food; they are starving for justice, governance and accountability.

Let it be known: REVOLUTIONS don’t need air-conditioned halls. They don’t need television coverage. They only need one spark and the ADC Coalition may just be that spark.

In the words of Thomas Sankara, “You cannot kill ideas. Ideas don’t die.” And no amount of intimidation, propaganda or betrayal can kill the idea that Nigeria deserves better.

Final Thought on This.
The fear exhibited by this government is a sign of WEAKNESS not STRENGTH. It is a loud confession that they have lost the people. History has shown us that when a government loses the people, its end is near.

Let the ruling elite tremble. Let their agents panic. The ADC Coalition is not their biggest problem. The Nigerian people are.

Let the REVOLUTION begin.

Written by George Omagbemi Sylvester
Published by SaharaWeeklyNG.com