Coalition: A national imperative or alliance of convenience?

By Kalu Okoronkwo

The recently announced political coalition aimed at ousting the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration should not just be another assemblage of power-hungry politicians seeking relevance. It must reflect a potent symbol of national frustration and a reaction to the perceived failures of an administration many now see as distant, disconnected, and devastatingly underwhelming.

The stakes are high, the country is bleeding; wounded by insecurity, crippled by corruption and choked by economic policies that burden the poor while protecting the powerful.

From the petrol queues in Abuja to the hunger-ravaged homes in Kano, citizens are tired of political drama without substance. They no longer clap for defection circuses or recycled manifestos. What they want and desperately need is a movement, not just a merger; a rebirth, not just a bloc.

President Tinubu rode into office on the crest of political legacy amid promises of renewed hope. However, two years into his tenure, Nigeria’s inflation rate has ballooned, the naira has crumbled, fuel prices have skyrocketed, and the masses continue to sink deeper into multidimensional poverty.

Under the guise of economic reforms, the Nigerians have been asked to tighten their belts while the political elite continue to loosen theirs.

Rather than transparency, citizens are confronted with stories of bloated budgets, highly inflated projects, brazen corruption, and anti-people decisions such as the removal of fuel subsidies without any clear social safety nets.

The honeymoon is long over; the administration’s approval rating is at its lowest, while the legitimacy of the APC administration is now under scrutiny.

It is against this backdrop that a broad-based coalition- Action Democratic Congress(ADC) comprising players from across party lines and diverse political blocs have emerged.  But the question must be asked: will this coalition simply recycle old political gladiators, or will it herald the birth of a new Nigeria?

Nigeria’s political history is littered with alliances built solely for electoral victory. From the hurried formation of APC in 2013 to the failed “Third Force” attempts in previous election cycles, coalitions have too often become vehicles for elite preservation, not platforms for national transformation. They collapse after elections, fragmented by power struggles and ideological emptiness.

Already, the newly formed opposition coalition aimed at dislodging the Tinubu’s administration in 2027 is drawing headlines. But public skepticism remains. Citizens ask: Are these leaders truly united by a national vision, or just by shared ambition to unseat the incumbent? To avoid becoming another footnote in Nigeria’s political merry-go-round, the coalition must answer this question, not with press releases, but with actions.

Nigeria does not need a “political combo meal” of familiar gladiators with little to show. It needs a national rescue team, a coalition built not just on numbers but on merit, integrity, vision, and commitment to real reform.

This is where the new coalition must rise above the old order. It must be redefined not by who joins it, but by how it recruits, who it empowers, and what it stands for. It must build not just consensus, but conviction.

A national imperative coalition must open its doors to visionary technocrats who understand economic restructuring, education policy, energy security, and digital innovation; empower youth leaders who can bridge the gap between street-level frustrations and policy-level solutions, include citizen activists and reformers, not as token figures, but as agenda-setters, people who have proven track records in holding governments accountable and advocating for social justice and pursue a manifesto of transformation, not a bullet-point wish list.

This means clearly defining national priorities: security, food sufficiency, job creation, education reform, anti-corruption enforcement, and institutional rebuilding.

For too long, Nigeria’s political arena has been dominated by the same set of actors: career politicians who hop from one party to another without ideological commitment or a roadmap for national rebirth. While these individuals have experience, their collective track record has delivered little more than underdevelopment and broken promises.

To truly move beyond the old order, Nigeria must now turn the page. The country desperately needs leaders who combine competence with character. This coalition must not only be political, it must be generational, ideological, and strategic.

Let this be the hour for Nigeria’s brightest minds: economists, policy experts, digital entrepreneurs, educationists, and reformers to step into the public square. They must be given the platform to lead, not as appendages to older politicians, but as central figures with the courage to dream and the discipline to deliver.

There is global precedence for such a model and Nigeria must take a cue. For instance, Tunisia’s post-Arab Spring coalition brought together secularists, Islamists, civil society actors, and technocrats in a national unity government that stabilized the country after dictatorship and chaos. It wasn’t perfect, but it was people-centered and forward-looking.

France’s Emmanuel Macron built a centrist political movement, La République En Marche, from scratch. He fused youth, experts, and private-sector professionals into a political force that shattered traditional party politics and brought reforms to France’s labor and economic systems.

Italy’s post-crisis technocratic government, led by Mario Monti, was a coalition of national interest that helped stabilize the country’s economy through tough, necessary decisions that career politicians could not have dared.

Closer home, Kenya’s 2013 election saw the emergence of a youthful Uhuru Kenyatta-William Ruto ticket, who campaigned heavily on technology and youth empowerment.

Rwanda, under Paul Kagame, despite criticisms, has shown what disciplined leadership driven by vision and meritocracy can achieve in post-conflict recovery and digital transformation.

Even at our backyard here , Ghana, coalitions and cross-party engagements have helped stabilize democracy and promote electoral integrity, avoiding the level of post-election chaos seen elsewhere on the continent.

These examples share a common thread: the resolve to reboot national destiny by disrupting the status quo and embracing newer voices and fresher ideas.

The 2027 elections present Nigeria with a rare opportunity to decide not just who governs, but how we are governed and why. The newly formed coalition must avoid the trap of being a mere alliance of convenience. It must have a soul rooted in a shared vision, guided by ethical governance, people-centered development, and transparent leadership recruitment.

The coalition must insist on internal democracy, policy-based campaigns, and the rejection of godfatherism. It must seek out young, competent Nigerians from all zones, those who understand the digital economy, global diplomacy, education reform, sustainable development, and national healing.

This is no time for nostalgia or emotional loyalty to broken political promises. Nigeria’s salvation will not come from those who brought her to the brink. It will come from those with the courage to reimagine her future and the discipline to build it.

Nigeria is at a turning point. The people are not just watching; they are waiting. Waiting for a signal that this time will be different. That this coalition will not be built around the familiar faces who have perfected the art of switching jerseys without changing direction.

If this coalition is to succeed, it must shake off the habits of the past. It must disrupt not just the ruling party, but the culture of mediocrity, sycophancy, and transactional politics.

It must be bold enough to field new leaders, humble enough to build consensus, and disciplined enough to focus on the future not the spoils of victory.

Let the new coalition make history by doing the one thing that hasn’t been done before: recruiting excellence, not entitlement. The youth are watching, professionals are willing and the nation is desperate.

This coalition is either a national imperative or just another political convenience in new robes. The choice lies in how it acts, and now.

Kalu Okoronkwo, a leadership and good governance advocate writes from Lagos and can be reached via kalu.okoronkwo@gmail.com