Dislodging Tinubu and APC Will Be a Difficult Battle

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George Moghalu, former APC chieftain and recent Labour Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate in Anambra State, has highlighted the difficulties opposition parties face in mounting a credible challenge against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling APC. Speaking from Abuja on Wednesday, Moghalu stressed that disunity among opposition groups remains a significant obstacle.

Reflecting on political history, Moghalu pointed out that the APC itself emerged from a coalition of several opposition parties—ANPP, CPC, ACN, a section of APGA, and the DPN—that merged ahead of the 2015 elections to finally break the PDP’s dominance. He recalled, “We fielded Buhari in 2003 and 2007, and he lost. He contested again in 2011 under CPC and still lost because the opposition was deeply fragmented.” The lesson, according to Moghalu, is that unity and collective strategy are essential to overcoming entrenched political powers.

He warned that the current opposition remains fragmented, and without cohesion, the APC will retain its advantage. “The only real path to defeating an incumbent or presenting a strong and competitive opposition is through collective focus and unity among opposition parties and their leaders,” Moghalu emphasized.

Addressing internal politics, Moghalu noted that incumbency often eclipses merit in Nigeria. “Most governors aren’t party leaders because they’re the most capable or educated, but because the system revolves around them. They control resources, influence, and authority — that’s the political reality,” he said, highlighting how hierarchical power flows from the President to governors and then to local government chairmen.

He also dismissed fears that Nigeria might drift toward a permanent one-party state. “We’ve seen similar cycles before. The PDP once controlled nearly 29 states but is now down to about six. Politics evolves constantly. No one can predict the APC’s future with certainty,” he explained.

On defections, Moghalu argued that Nigerian political movements are largely driven by personal ambition rather than ideology or performance. He criticized politicians who transfer offices won under one party to another without seeking fresh legitimacy from voters, calling it ethically questionable. “The party’s name is what appears on the ballot, not the individual,” he said, adding that resigning and contesting anew is the true test of integrity for defectors.

Reflecting on his own political trajectory, Moghalu said he is weighing whether to remain with the Labour Party, return to the APC, or join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), underscoring the practical and strategic nature of party affiliations in Nigeria.