In a major political shift ahead of the 2027 elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was formally unveiled as the new coalition...
In a major political shift ahead of the 2027 elections, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was formally unveiled as the new coalition base for several leading opposition figures, including Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi. The announcement, made on March 20 in Abuja, ignited controversy and fierce responses across party lines.
Mark, newly appointed interim National Chairman of the ADC, declared during his acceptance speech:
“Let it be known to all that this coalition of national political opposition groups goes beyond gaining political power. It is a concerted effort to rebuild the crumbling pillars of Nigeria’s democracy.”
“Today marks the beginning of what we believe will be a long, difficult and tedious journey. However, it is a journey that we are prepared to undertake, united in our belief that no price or sacrifice is too high in the service of our fatherland.”
He accused the APC-led administration of state capture:
“The blatant destabilisation and infiltration of all major opposition political parties is aimed at achieving only one objective: to enhance total state capture and leave Nigerians with no alternative in 2027.”
“We have never seen a government so at home with corruption, a government that disdains accountability. A government so consumed with politicking that governance is abandoned, while the majority of our people wallow in hunger and poverty.”
He also decried the state of the National Assembly:
“Never in our history have we witnessed a National Assembly reduced to cheerleaders of the executive. This transformation is a dangerous conspiracy against the Nigerian people.”
Former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola was named interim National Secretary, while former ADC leaders, including Ralph Nwosu, voluntarily resigned to pave the way for the coalition.
Nwosu confirmed:
“We all decided to resign so that Mark, Aregbesola, and others can lead us to the Villa… We don’t have any doubt in the man. We all have decided to resign.”
Former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi announced his resignation from the APC, describing the coalition as a necessary response to Nigeria’s hardship:
“Nigeria is destroyed. People can’t eat. There’s no money to buy food. Inflation is at its peak. And the federal government is busy trying to hijack elections. INEC is helping them do it.”
“What must happen here is not just the formation of a party. It must be a movement that brings in Nigerians to, on their own, take over government—not us.”
Also present were Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Datti Baba-Ahmed, David Mark, Nasir El-Rufai, Gabriel Suswam, Uche Secondus, and over 20 former governors, ministers, and lawmakers.
However, opposition erupted within the ADC. 2023 presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu lashed out, calling the coalition members:
“A bunch of geriatrics shopping for a party to prosecute their ‘chopping must continue’ ambition.”
“You set our nation on fire, and now you call yourselves the fire brigade. No, you are not. Nigerians reject your generation.”
In the same vein, a faction within the ADC, tagged “Concerned Stakeholders”, rejected Aregbesola’s appointment. In a statement signed by National Publicity Secretary Dr. Musa Isa Matara, they said:
“ADC is not a one-man project. The appointment of Aregbesola as interim secretary lacks due process, transparency, and legitimacy.”
“We are not opposed to coalitions or reforms. But we oppose hijack, imposition, and elitist revolutions masked in poetic speeches.”
In response, former Chairman Ralph Nwosu dismissed Kachikwu:
“Anybody who says anything against what we’ve done today is not an ADC member. We shouldn’t be apologetic. We have to be ready for this battle.”
Meanwhile, within the PDP, Acting National Chairman Umar Damagum warned party members against backing the coalition:
“We are drawing a line. Those undermining the party will face disciplinary action. They have no place elsewhere as accommodating as the PDP.”
He declared the PDP remains intact:
“Your party is very, very intact. APC can keep harassing and buying members, but the 2027 election is between Nigerians and them. We’re not conquered.”
He also reaffirmed PDP’s stance against joining any coalition:
“We are not interested in forming any coalition. But we are open to absorbing members from other political parties.”
Despite this, prominent PDP figures like Atiku, David Mark, and Sule Lamido endorsed the ADC-led coalition in a communiqué signed by Mark at the Transcorp Hilton on Tuesday.
Reacting, APC’s Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, dismissed the coalition:
“The coalition is not a threat. These are the same people who ruined Nigeria and now refuse to retire. They’re irrelevant.”
“They’ve been defeated before, and defeating them again will not be a problem.”
He defended the APC-led government:
“The APC was founded to fix the mess. These people caused it. They are not new entrants. They are the problem, not the solution.”
As opposition leaders rally under the ADC, Nigeria’s 2027 presidential race is shaping into a fierce three-way contest between the ruling APC, a faction-torn PDP, and a newly united—but already contested—ADC-led coalition.
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