The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has described the recent public endorsement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term by the National Working Committee and governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as a classic case of a desperate power grab to cement political dominance.
The PRP also accused the ruling APC of ignoring widespread public discontent in its quest to secure Tinubu’s second term.
National Chairman of PRP, Falalu Bello, in a statement on Saturday, said the coordinated endorsement by the APC’s National Working Committee, the Progressive Governors Forum, and the National Assembly caucus at the party’s National Summit reveals a ruling party focused more on retaining power than addressing the real concerns of Nigerians.
The PRP reaction comes after the 22 APC governors and the leadership of the party unanimously backed Tinubu as the party’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 poll.
The endorsement was announced on Thursday by the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodimma of Imo State, at the APC National Summit held at the State House Banquet Hall in Abuja.
Falalu noted that no amount of political choreography can replace performance and accountability in a democratic system.
He reminded the ruling party of failed power retention attempts across Africa, including Laurent Gbagbo in Ivory Coast, Edgar Lungu in Zambia, and Yahya Jammeh in The Gambia, all of whom he said were ultimately rejected by their citizens despite wielding state power and political structures.
Falalu said: “History and recent political realities teach us a vital lesson: power is not held by tactics alone; it is sustained by the people’s trust and belief.
As illustrated by global examples, even the most formidable political machinery crumbles when the people’s confidence is lost.
“Nigeria’s situation echoes this truth. Tinubu’s political machinery and endorsements may seem formidable, but they cannot silence the cries of the masses suffering under skyrocketing fuel prices, failing infrastructure, joblessness, insecurity, brazen corruption, and a crumbling economy.
“The people’s disillusionment is palpable, and when citizens whisper, “This is not what we voted for,” it signals a fundamental disconnect between leadership and the governed. And the above indices are the real ballots that will determine the future, not mere endorsements or political alliances.
“The APC’s current move to endorse Tinubu’s candidacy appears to be a classic case of a desperate power grab—an attempt to cement dominance through endorsements and political theatre rather than delivery of genuine democratic dividends. As history and current realities reveal, no matter how crowded or well-rehearsed the political stage becomes, the people’s voice, their pain and aspiration, remains the ultimate arbiter of true power.
Falalu urged the APC and President Tinubu to return to the core values of governance by focusing on service delivery rather than political consolidation.
He maintained that the 2027 election would be determined not by endorsements or alliances but by how Nigerians feel about their daily lives.
“We stand with the Nigerian masses who are crying out for real change, not power grabs. The future belongs to those who understand that power must be rooted in the people’s trust, not in the desperation of those seeking to hold onto it at all costs,” PRP added.
