The Presidency has taken a swipe at Nigeria’s opposition parties, describing them as being on “sinking ground” while President Bola Tinubu is, according to the government, firmly anchored on what it calls the “rock of competence.”
Speaking on Sunday during an interview on Arise Television, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, defended the administration’s performance while dismissing recent moves by opposition leaders.
Dare was reacting to the opposition’s recent Ibadan meeting, where parties reportedly agreed to present a single presidential candidate for future elections. He dismissed the gathering as a coalition of familiar political figures who have been active in Nigeria’s political space for years.
According to him, many of the participants are “recycled politicians” who have previously served as ministers, governors, or lawmakers, arguing that their records show little evidence of fresh ideas or reform-driven thinking.
“They are free to field five, seven presidential candidates. But I said they’re standing on sinking ground. That is the beauty of democracy,” Dare said.
He maintained that while opposition parties are within their democratic rights to organize and strategize, their efforts do not undermine what he described as a functioning government delivering measurable outcomes.
“But that does not diminish the fact that there is a government in place that is functional, that has measured outcomes in what it has been doing,” he added.
The remarks add to the ongoing political exchanges between the ruling party and opposition blocs as Nigeria inches toward another election cycle.