Dr. Usman Bugaje has cautioned Nigerians not to be deceived by the emerging political coalition between the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Hikaya Newspaper reports that he made this remark during an interview with an online television platform, according to a post by Bashir Audi Esq on Facebook on Sunday, August 17, 2025.
Bugaje argued that the coalition is less about national transformation and more about seizing power from President Bola Tinubu. He noted that many of its members were once part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under former President Muhammadu Buhari but were sidelined after Tinubu assumed power, citing Malam Nasir El-Rufai as an example.
According to him, most figures in the coalition are disgruntled members of either the APC or the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He said these politicians had previously contributed to the mismanagement and looting of Nigeria’s resources, which left the country in its current state of crisis.
Bugaje stressed that neither the APC, PDP, Labour Party, nor the new ADC/SDP coalition possesses the capacity to rescue Nigeria from its worsening condition. Instead, he urged citizens to abandon “SAK” voting (straight-ticket voting from president to local councillor) and choose credible individuals who are committed to public service rather than self-enrichment.
While acknowledging that not all members of the coalition are bad, Bugaje maintained that Nigerians must learn to carefully select leaders based on personal merit and proven character, not party platforms. He concluded that the old political actors are merely “old wines in new bottles” attempting to reclaim power through another platform to continue their past practices.