Buhari’s aide consoles ADC

By Philippine Duru

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Former presidential aide Lauretta Onochie has fired a blistering broadside at recent political realignments, warning that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) must resist what she described as calculated “political tourism” and remain firmly in control of its direction.

In a sharply worded post on her X handle, Onochie declared, “We are in charge,” setting the tone for a no-holds-barred critique of movements surrounding former presidential candidate Peter Obi and his brief association with the party.

While acknowledging that democracy guarantees freedom of association, Onochie insisted that patterns—not pronouncements—reveal true intent. According to her, Obi’s engagement with the ADC raised red flags from the outset, as his overtures were met with caution by party insiders wary of what she implied was a deeper strategic play.

She pointed to what she called a glaring contradiction: while high-level engagement was being signalled, a large segment of Obi’s support base remained outside the party structure—often hostile to its leadership. That disconnect, she argued, was not accidental but revealing.

Rather than strengthening the party, Onochie suggested there were subtle attempts to test internal structures and influence dynamics. But, she stressed, the ADC proved resistant.

“Institutions grounded in process do not yield easily to transient ambition,” she wrote, asserting that party members “held their ground—solidly.”

Onochie credited the (ADC) of Nigeria with delivering what she described as a decisive intervention that “reset the narrative,” restoring stability and neutralising what she termed “manufactured turbulence” within the party.

With that stability, she argued, the political interest that once hovered around the ADC quickly evaporated—making the eventual exit as revealing as the initial entry.

Turning her attention to subsequent political moves, Onochie warned Nigerians to scrutinise what she characterised as a recurring pattern: strategic entry into platforms with momentum, attempts to influence internal levers, and swift exits when resistance is encountered—followed by re-emergence in more pliable environments.

“We have seen this playbook before,” she said, laying out a cycle she believes is driven less by ideology and more by opportunism.

She also took aim at what she described as the orchestration of perception—alleging that elite endorsements, curated narratives, and favourable projections are often deployed to inflate political strength and shape public opinion.

Figures such as Atedo Peterside, she noted, may be invoked to lend credibility, but she cautioned Nigerians to distinguish between genuine public sentiment and what she implied could be engineered consensus.

“Democracy is not a marketplace for inflated expectations,” she warned.

In a direct message to ADC members, Onochie urged discipline and focus, cautioning against distractions as the party stands, in her words, at a “critical inflection point.”

Rather than reacting to external noise, she called for structural consolidation—strengthening grassroots networks, recruiting credible leaders, and building a policy-driven national alternative.

“The future of ADC will not be determined by who comes and goes,” she wrote. “It will be determined by what is built—and how firmly it stands.”

In a pointed conclusion, Onochie dismissed what she described as “nomadic politics,” arguing that Nigeria needs consistency and character, not constant platform-hopping.

Her message was clear and unapologetic: while others may chase political convenience, the ADC, she insisted, must remain unshaken—focused, disciplined, and firmly standing its ground.