By: Manoah Kikekon
 |
| Basil Opara, ADC and Peter Obi |
LAGOS, NIGERIA — As the political landscape shifts toward the 2027 general elections, Dr. Basil Opara, a prominent Chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ojo LGA, has issued a stern warning against "self-aggrandizement" within the party.
Speaking from his vantage point as the Executive Director of Studies at Mentors Business College, Opara cautioned that the party must not become a refuge for politicians seeking to exploit the massive electoral value of His Excellency, Peter Obi, without possessing their own track records of integrity.
Dr. Opara defined self-aggrandizement as a toxic manifestation of egotism where individuals inflate their own importance to boost their egos or deceive the public. "In Nigeria, self-aggrandizement is prevalent in today’s democracy," Opara stated.
"Elected representatives often treat party members as inconsequential beggars once the election is won, only to resurface after four years with fallacious promises to lure unsuspecting electorates who are now wiser."
The ADC has recently become the epicenter of a political "rescue mission" following the official entry of Peter Obi into a grand coalition. This move has triggered a mass exodus from other parties, positioning the ADC as a formidable challenger to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). However, Opara maintains that the "Peter Obi movement" must be protected from opportunistic "moles" who lack leadership pedigree but wish to ride on Obi's coattails.
Addressing rumors of "automatic tickets" for defecting lawmakers, Opara was emphatic in his debunking of such claims. "To suggest that H.E. Peter Obi has promised automatic tickets to elected representatives from the Labour Party is not only falsehood but blatant lies of the highest degree," he remarked. He argued that party members must be allowed to select individuals of proven integrity through a competitive process, rather than rewarding those who "abandon members who worked tirelessly for their emergence."
The concept of "electoral value" was central to Opara’s address. He noted that a candidate’s worth should be measured by their ability to attract genuine support and deliver the dividends of democracy. "An elected representative who could not deliver to the electorates lacks electoral value and cannot be sold for a second time because of a criminal propensity for self-aggrandizement," he noted, suggesting that performance-based criteria be institutionalized across the ADC hierarchy.
Drawing on the proverb "once beaten, twice shy," Opara highlighted the growing skepticism among Nigerian voters who have suffered from the "perfidious mendacity" of past leaders. He warned that when politicians fail to keep promises, it leads to monumental voter fatigue and apathy. To rebuild trust, he proposed a rigorous vetting process that prioritizes "capacity, character, and competence" over the deep pockets of the highest bidders.
As the ADC prepares to position itself as the party forming the next government in 2027, Opara called for a formidable structure that resists "positional gratification for incompetent surrogates." He concluded by urging the party to remain vigilant: "The influx into the ADC is an unprecedented trajectory that must be scrutinized. We must not allow moles to infiltrate the rank and file of our dear party. ADC, arise and shine!"