Lai Mohammed Reveals Key Element Behind APC and Buhari’s Historic 2015 Triumph
Nigeria’s ex-Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has presented a compelling narrative on how disciplined and tactical communication amalgamated a fractured opposition into a unified national movement that successfully contested the ruling party in 2015.
During his speech at Abbey College, Cambridge, UK, on Wednesday, Mohammed traced the roots of this transformation back to the aftermath of Nigeria’s 2003 general elections, which he notably referred to as a “political tsunami.”
“2003 was a year characterized by a political tsunami in Nigeria, a year when the opposition faced what could be deemed its most considerable setback in the nation’s political timeline,” he expressed.
“When Nigeria reverted to democratic governance in 1999, the allocation of states governed by the three major parties post-elections was relatively balanced.
“The newly formed ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, secured 21 states, while the primary opposition All Peoples Party, APP, acquired nine states, and the Alliance for Democracy, AD, of which I was a part at that time, secured six.
“Nevertheless, four years later, in the wake of the 2003 general elections, disaster struck. The PDP claimed seven additional states, elevating its total to 28. Five of these states were seized from my party’s six, leaving us with merely one, Lagos.
“The APP, which had since rebranded as the All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, surrendered two states but maintained its status as the leading opposition with seven states,” he elaborated.
The former Minister clarified that the election results stripped the AD of its authority, framework, and influence, compelling it to seek fresh alliances. These efforts culminated in the formation of the Action Congress of Democrats, ACD, which later evolved into the Action Congress, AC, and ultimately the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN.
Despite governing only one state at that point, he noted that the ACN leveraged the power of communication to position itself as the preeminent opposition force in the country.
“In those times, communication was our most potent instrument. Each word bore weight. Every message had to cut through the noise, for if it did not, we simply did not exist in the public’s consciousness,” Alhaji Mohammed remarked.
Through steadfast public engagement, strategic messaging, and relentless advocacy, the opposition gradually reinstated public trust and expanded its political footprint.
He indicated that the ACN grew from one state to six, a development that enabled it to forge coalitions with other parties to create the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2013.
He noted that the APC swiftly emerged as the predominant opposition force and ultimately triumphed over the ruling PDP in the 2015 general elections, marking a historic occasion in Nigeria when a ruling party was displaced at the national level.
“That experience taught me that communication goes beyond mere speaking; it involves persistence, clarity, and strategic positioning,” the former Minister commented.
Looking back on his time in government, Mohammed indicated that his experiences in opposition profoundly shaped his governance philosophy when his party assumed power in 2015 and he was appointed Minister of Information and Culture.
“It reinforced my belief that communication is not an add-on to politics or governance,” he asserted. “It is a vital instrument for both.”
