Publisher of Eko Mi says Nigeria needs a strong opposition, but dismisses ADC as a special purpose vehicle without real substance

Otunba Bestman Nze Jumbo, the chief executive officer of Image Expression and publisher of Eko Mi, Eko E Newspaper, has expressed strong reservations about the newly formed African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, describing it as “a coalition of bitter people” lacking the credibility to lead Nigeria or offer meaningful opposition.

In an interview that touched on Nigeria’s current political atmosphere, Otunba Bestman criticised the coalition’s motives and questioned the sincerity of its members. “People pretend to love Nigeria by word of mouth,” he said. “I’ve looked at the participants and I ask myself: are they truly in love with Nigeria? One is claiming to be hungry—I pray to be as hungry as him after being a two-term governor.”

While stressing that the country needs a strong and responsible opposition to check the excesses of the ruling APC, he said the ADC was clearly not the answer. “The ADC, as it stands, is more of a special purpose vehicle than a political party. It doesn’t have any stunt or substance,” he said.

Otunba Bestman also questioned what the coalition plans to do differently, pointing out that many of the major reforms currently being undertaken—such as the removal of fuel subsidy and the rollout of student loans—would likely continue under any serious administration.

“I have asked some basic questions,” he said. “Will any party come in and say they want to bring back fuel subsidy? Will any party stop the student loan scheme or the ongoing infrastructural interventions? The answer is no. So what really would they be doing differently?”

He concluded by calling for more honest and people-focused leadership, while reiterating that the Nigerian electorate is now more politically aware and capable of seeing through gimmicks. “It’s not enough to be disgruntled. If you truly want to lead, you must present ideas and solutions, not just grievances,” he added.