Almost 85% of coalition leaders have failed Nigerians – YPP Chair
Bishop Amakiri, the National Chairman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), has lambasted the opposition alliance, claiming that the bulk of its leaders had failed Nigerians in the past.
He also claimed that they lacked the moral power to propose significant political reform.
On Monday, Amakiri branded the alliance as a revolving door of political elites whose previous performances had contributed to Nigeria’s leadership dilemma.
“My concern is if 85 percent of those in that coalition have the moral reason to tell us about a coalition that will free Nigerians from the political leadership quagmire we are in. Nigeria is in urgent need of political leadership replacement.
“Eighty-five percent of them are members of the PPM coalition group, which is a conglomerate of people who have failed the nation.
“I’m not sure how an organisation like that can actually promote the agenda that they’re talking about. “The task is now left to Nigerians to decide,” he stated.
The YPP leader criticised the coalition as being packed with “political power mongers” who were mainly interested in reclaiming power for personal gain.
“You can’t have a meeting of more than 85 percent of people who have previously had the opportunity to lead this country—and where have they gone? Abysmal failure.
“These are the guys who once endangered a country’s sovereignty. Are they now interested in creating a coalition with us? They have nothing to offer. “They are just political power brokers trying to further their own interests,” he remarked.
Amakiri questioned the viability of any group composed primarily of those who had previously failed the nation.
“When 85 percent of them belong to the so-called PPM (Political Power Mongers), I’m not sure how promising that group may be. It is now up to Nigerians to decide.
“Maybe they’ve taken Nigerians for granted, possibly due to our people’s docility. Every year, they get together, give it a new name, and play back and forth with Nigeria like table tennis, while the young people just watch,” he explained.
He compared the coalition to events in 2015, when a similar combination of political entities succeeded in unseating a working administration but failed to provide better leadership.
“It’s the same strategy they used in 2015, when their primary goal was to oust a president who was doing well. People in this country have threatened to destabilise the administration. “Is this the type of people we want to see form a coalition again?” he asked.
When asked to reply to allegations that some of his party members had defected to the alliance, Amakiri defended the YPP’s fundamental position and long-term plan.
“We are not in a hurry to have a president. Our primary goal is to take over the parliament. That is why the YPP’s plan is more practical, focussing on legislative power. “We are constrained, but we are focused,” he stated.
His statements come just days after the opposition alliance had a high-profile gathering at Abuja’s Yar’Adua Centre, where it formally accepted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform for the 2027 general elections against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
At the event, ADC’s founder, Ralph Nwosu, handed over the party’s membership card to former Senate President David Mark and former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, who were named interim national chairman and secretary of the coalition, respectively.
Notable guests included former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi, former governors Nasir El-Rufai and Rotimi Amaechi, Senator Ireti Kingibe, Senator Gabriel Suswam, Dele Momodu, Solomon Dalung, Emeka Ihedioha, Dino Melaye, and retired Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar.
Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Liberal Party (LP), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) also attended the event.