Dogara Says Opposition Must Present Alternatives Before Being Taken Seriously Ahead of 2027 Elections

Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Yakubu Dogara, has said the opposition must present clear alternatives to the policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration before being taken seriously ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Dogara criticised the opposition for focusing on grievances rather than concrete policies.

“I haven’t heard the discussion centering on the people. All I hear is anger about one or two things. What vision or idea are they rallying behind? I have yet to see that,” he said.

“Until they bring alternatives to what the President is doing—and we look at them critically and see they are better than what we have—we cannot take them seriously. In the absence of that, everyone knows it is just gimmicks that will take them nowhere,” Dogara added.

In July 2025, the opposition coalition adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform ahead of the 2027 elections. The coalition includes notable figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-presidential candidate Peter Obi, former ministers Rotimi Amaechi and Rauf Aregbesola, immediate past Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and former Senate President David Mark, among others.

The opposition has vowed to remove the APC from power next year, citing rising poverty and economic hardships. Dogara, however, said the coalition should move beyond rhetoric.

“That is the kind of talk I hear,” he said, referring to calls for change without actionable plans.

Dogara also asked Nigerians to be patient with the Tinubu administration, noting that reforms take time.

“I think we are on the right track, even if people are not feeling it. When we talk about the challenges relating to security, that’s taken us how many years to get to the point where President Tinubu took over,” he said.

“There’s nobody with a magical wand that can make everything disappear overnight. But from the time he assumed office until now, we have seen leadership in areas that were previously neglected,” he added.