2025 Bye-elections: From my Eyes
By Elempe Dele
I think from the results that have filtered in so far, some of the opposition parties were not only outnumbered, they were out-organized. I will arrange my thoughts to reflect on this as we go on.
The truth is, when politicians rally under new flags, other banners, other names…sometimes, they suspend other endeavours that need attention and focus on those issues that should be of less worries. The opposition parties have been doing more of media shows than organization.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured a majority of the seats in Saturday’s by-elections conducted across 16 federal and state constituencies in 12 states, according to results announced so far by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
As of Sunday morning, results show that the APC won 12 of the 16 seats across nine states. APGA secured two seats in Anambra, PDP won one seat in Oyo, and NNPP claimed one seat in Kano.
While APC swept most of the seats, PDP retained a foothold in Oyo and placed second in many contests, while the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA showed its dominance in Anambra where Governor Soludo holds sway.
The newly formed coalition party, African Democratic Congress, ADC, the Labour Party, LP, and others had very poor outings.
The opposition parties must go back to their drawing boards to discuss and strategize concretely against the 2027 election, or else, this results seem to show Nigerians at the grassroot level are not responding to the social media rhetorics of our economic, security and other challenges which the opposition seem to be banking on to win the 2027 presidential election.
My first thought is for the opposition to be better organized than what I am seeing today. The coalition seems apparent, not grassroots. It is acting as if the presidential ticket is its most important target, not those who will vote during the election.
The ADC must start building organic structures to challenge the deep-rooted APC. It is not enough to wand rhetorics together on pages of newspaper and social media when voters in hinterlands and inner cities are not connected to these.
Secondly, the majn worry facing the main opposition, ADC, today, is who will the party bequeath the ticket to. Alhaji Atiku is a front runner while others are either pretending or oblivious of this gazing fact.
Will it be possible for the LP and the Obidient Movement to revive its 2023 fortunes or it will be too late to organize when their alter ego is defeated in the ADC primary? How will Nigerians react if this alter ego is dispossessed after flirting with ADC in a manner that has left questions on the lips of many Nigerians?
No doubt, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is not in the mood to contest this upcoming presidential election having seen its electoral value swindle to mere pittance in recent times. Its major stakeholders have left to join ADC and others, what is left of the party is a carcass of an old house that has not been able to pay its ground rent for years. Its best bet in 2027 will be to be used by the party that will likely win.
Another major setback I envisage is inability for the opposition to raise funds for elections. We might drive thoughts against why this is important in elections, but the historical reality is that is is a very demanding need. The voters are stimulated by this factor for so many reasons I cannot here expand on.
The only time where this was inconsequential was in the 2023 presidential election where members of the Obidient Movement distanced themselves from the money factor. They were made up of mostly youths who were disenchanted by the state of our political affairs.
They wanted change and wanted it away from our regular politicians. Unfortunately, the desire was defeated and the movement has almost totally lost its political gusto.
The Coalition that has morphed into ADC still need more work to do in terms of organization and funding of the party at all levels, mere rhetorics cannot win elections in Nigeria.
