Segun Sowunmi, the convener of a political group known as The Alternative, has criticised the coalition push being built around the African Democratic Congress, saying the most successful coalition model in Nigeria’s recent politics was formed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former President Muhammadu Buhari and cannot be copied easily.
Speaking on Television Continental’s Breakfast programme on Thursday, 22 January 2026, Sowunmi argued that the coalition that produced the All Progressives Congress was the outcome of years of steady party work, clear political identity and long-term planning, not a quick arrangement.
He said those behind the current African Democratic Congress-led coalition are trying to reuse a strategy created by others, insisting that any new alliance must develop its own approach. “First of all, you must concede that the playbook of a coalition political party belongs to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Muhammadu Buhari in that bloc,” he said.
Sowunmi explained that Tinubu and Buhari were able to align politically because they had consistent political roots over time. He pointed to Tinubu’s long association with the Alliance for Democracy and later the Action Congress tradition, while Buhari remained closely linked with the All Nigeria Peoples Party for years. In his view, that history made it easier for their camps to merge structures and build a united front.
He also criticised some coalition promoters for not putting in the groundwork required to unite parties and supporters across communities, saying coalition-building is demanding and takes sacrifice. “The hard work of coalition building is going back to the parties at the base,” he said.
Sowunmi added that the Tinubu-Buhari alliance did not come together overnight, noting that earlier attempts to build a coalition did not succeed at first, and only worked later after major political decisions, party changes, and sustained efforts to bring other leaders into a new platform.
Using the African Democratic Congress as an example, he said leadership struggles in the party reflect what happens when politicians try to take control from the top without following internal rules and constitutional steps. According to him, such moves often trigger disputes and weaken the unity that coalition advocates claim they want to build.