Former Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ussiju Medaner, has dismissed the recent resurgence of opposition politics in Nigeria as mere noise-making, arguing that many opposition actors lack the strategic thinking and electoral machinery required to win general elections.
Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Medaner described opposition politicians as disorganised, claiming “they are not putting their acts together.”
He said, “If you look at some of the opposition activities, it’s just making noise, they are not putting acts together. Election is not just making noise, election is just thinking. Everywhere in the world.”
Medaner referenced the 2023 general elections, pointing out that the APC stood out for its well-structured and knowledge-based preparation. “APC is the only party that put together a manual to train all its agents across the 120,000 polling units,” he said, noting that even some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad hoc staff reportedly relied on APC agents for guidance during the elections.
Drawing parallels with the United States, Medaner argued that winning an election requires assembling the right team. “Trump put together people that can win elections,” he said. Similarly, in Nigeria, he noted that while figures like Atiku Abubakar are adept at securing party tickets, they lack the network needed to win a national election. “Some of the people that are talking are not voting, they are not voters. They are online voters, they just make noise, and you know, that is not how elections are done.”
According to him, successful campaigns require deep analysis, grassroots mobilisation, and a clear understanding of both one’s strongholds and those of the opposition.
In Medaner’s view, unless the opposition moves beyond rhetoric and begins to invest in the intellectual and strategic rigour required to win elections, their efforts will remain ineffective.
Melissa Enoch
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