There is an old African proverb that says, “The lion cub you laughed at yesterday may be the one that devours your herd tomorrow.” This proverb is no doubt taking shape in Nigeria’s political scene as the African Democratic Congress (ADC) begins to morph from a dismissed fringe party into a unifying force for powerful political figures ahead of the 2027 general elections. While this should be cause for strategic recalibration within the ranks of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), what we are seeing instead is an open display of mockery and arrogance from some of its most prominent figures. From Nyesom Wike’s dismissive jabs to Festus Keyamo’s condescending warnings, and even subtle jibes from the President himself, the pattern is clear: the APC is laughing at a lion cub. But history and common sense say this is a dangerous game.
Rather than preparing for the electoral earthquake that may be brewing, APC stalwarts are treating the ADC’s growing coalition as a circus show. That, in itself, is a strategic misstep, one that could cost the ruling party dearly. It is one thing to underrate your opponent quietly; it is another to mock them in public while the ground beneath your own feet is beginning to shift.
The mockery began almost immediately after the announcement that several notable political heavyweights, including those who fell out with APC and PDP alike, had found a new political home in the ADC. Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory and a man known for his firebrand rhetoric, did not hold back. He tagged the coalition “a gang of failed and expired politicians,” ridiculing former Senate President David Mark and calling out media personality Dele Momodu as “politically irrelevant.” His comments, laced with sarcasm and swagger, were echoed by others in the ruling party.
Not to be outdone, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and a loyal foot soldier of the APC, declared that the real motive behind the coalition was a desperate hunt by Atiku’s PDP faction for a new political umbrella. He went on to accuse the group of using Peter Obi’s popularity without truly intending to empower him. According to Keyamo, “The person whom the old, cunning guards want to take for a ride in all of this is Peter Obi. They want his votes, but do not want to give him their Presidential ticket.” In a nutshell, he labeled the coalition not just unserious but deceptive and doomed.
These kinds of statements reflect more than political banter, they reveal the depth of APC’s misunderstanding of the moment. It is a dangerous kind of political myopia to assume that just because the ADC lacked state governors or federal legislative control in previous years, it cannot be a serious contender in 2027. APC seems to have forgotten that it too was once a fragile coalition cobbled together by disgruntled politicians in 2014. Back then, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) also laughed, and got unseated.
The ADC is shaping up as a similar threat. But this time, the urgency is not just rooted in elite power tussles. It is rooted in the everyday frustration of the Nigerian people, with skyrocketing inflation, dwindling purchasing power, insecurity, corruption, and disconnection between political leaders and the masses. The party may not yet be fully formed in terms of structure, but politically, it has become a magnet for those who see the current government as aloof and out of touch.
If APC is not careful, it will become the very thing it once defeated, a ruling party bloated with arrogance, disconnected from the streets, and drunk on past victories. Instead of building a fresh message for 2027, it is mocking the opposition as though ridicule alone has ever won elections.
The biggest mistake any political party can make is to misread public sentiment. The average Nigerian today is more politically conscious than ever before. They may not know every law in the constitution, but they know hunger. They may not understand complex economic charts, but they know when the cost of garri, rice, and fuel becomes unbearable. If ADC can align its message with this everyday suffering, and unify its leadership around a shared agenda, then what APC mocks today could be what knocks them out tomorrow.
Furthermore, mocking the ADC’s attempt to court Peter Obi is short-sighted. If anything, the ruling party should be worried. Obi represents a large youth base disillusioned with both the APC and PDP. If he lends his weight, even partially, to the ADC coalition, it could shift the balance of power in unpredictable ways. The 2023 elections showed that Nigerians are no longer married to political parties; they are loyal to ideas, integrity, and hope, however fleeting.
Another factor that should worry APC is the pattern of discontent even within its own party. Multiple factions, unresolved internal disputes, and egos threatening to tear it apart from within. At a time when the party should be consolidating, it is instead preoccupied with defending unpopular policies, explaining away hunger, and battling criticism from the very regions that once handed them votes.
The opposition sees this. The ADC sees this. The people see it too. And rather than heed the warning signs, APC leaders are busy laughing at the lion cub. But this is no ordinary cub. This is a movement in formation, a political organism evolving in real time. It is not perfect, but it is growing. And if underestimated, it will bite.
What the APC should be doing is focusing on delivering real dividends of democracy, reuniting its fragmented base, and rebranding its image before 2027. The era of blind loyalty is gone. Nigerians want results. The mocking speeches from Wike and Keyamo might please loyalists in the short term, but they do nothing to change the growing perception that the ruling party has failed to meet the expectations of the masses.
The writing on the wall is clear for any serious political observer: the ADC is not just assembling political has-beens; it is evolving into a vessel for voter dissatisfaction, disillusionment, and desire for change. The sooner APC members stop laughing and start listening, the better their chances of staying relevant in 2027. Political history does not favor those who mock transformation in its infancy, especially when that transformation has the potential to rewrite the script.
So, rather than laughing at the lion cub, the APC should recognize that it is no longer playing in an empty field. The ADC may still be finding its roar, but its paws are already pressing firmly into the soil of 2027. Mock it all you want, but do not forget, lion cubs grow up. And when they do, the jungle changes.
