Nigeria, Dec. 22 -- The new, rebranded and energized African Democratic Congress (ADC) roared into the Nigerian political scene some six months ago. We still remember what it was like then. It felt like a bright new day. Full of promise. The party appeared every inch like a new bride; like the bride party whose entry could herald a new order; a new arrangement that could change Nigeria for good. Given the state of affairs in the Nigerian polity, the expectation was that the ADC, like the hurricane that it appeared to be at inception, would step forward with gusto and boldness. Such disposition is what is needed to steer the country out of stormy waters.

Before the ADC showed up, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) was all over the...