The opposition coalition has chosen the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform for the 2027 general elections.
This was disclosed by their led by spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.
Abdullahi who said that the choice was driven by the party’s openness to reform and alignment with the coalition’s shared values and vision, explained that the decision was driven by the party’s openness to reform and alignment with the coalition’s shared values and vision.
According to him, “When we started this journey, we had a list of options, parameters, and conditionalities, the kind of party we were looking for. Those from the APC said no, because the founding principles that led to the formation of the APC had been betrayed.
“Those from the PDP said the party, once a political behemoth, has lost its way. Labour Party members also expressed regret over their past experiences. So everyone agreed that if we’re going forward, we must have a set of agreed-upon principles.
“Any party we engage with must allow us to restructure it in line with our vision. Unfortunately, there’s hardly any political party today that embodies that discipline and structure not even like the parties of the First and Second Republics,” he said.
Abdullahi said that the coalition had a list of options and parameters for the kind of party they were looking for.
However, they found that the ADC was amenable to the kind of reform they had in mind.
He likened the party to clay that could be molded into a pot, suggesting that its weaknesses could be an opportunity for the coalition to shape it into a strong platform.
Abdullahi stressed that the ADC, while not a perfect fit, presented a unique opportunity for reform.
“We found a party that is amenable to the kind of reform we had in mind. If you say it’s weak like clay because it can be moulded into a pot, then yes. That’s why we adopted it, ” he added.
He noted that the decision of the coalition has not been without criticism. Some have accused the coalition of being dominated by political veterans, but Abdullahi dismissed this, saying that the coalition is not controlled by any individual or group.
He also defended the choice of David Mark as interim national chairman, citing his universal confidence among coalition members.
Dumebi Kachikwu, the ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, has criticised the coalition, describing its members as “enemies of Nigeria” who seek to drag the country backward.
He accused them of hijacking the party illegitimately and claimed that the interim leadership is fraudulent.
Abdullahi responded to Kachikwu’s criticism, saying that the coalition has been in the works for over 18 months and that critics were only now crawling out of the woodwork to oppose it.
He also criticised the ruling APC, saying that Tinubu’s Renewed Hope agenda has become hopeless and that Nigeria is sliding into a one-party state.
The coalition’s adoption of the ADC as its platform has set the stage for a potentially significant challenge to the APC in the 2027 general elections.
The coalition’s leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and Nasir El-Rufai, have thrown their weight behind the ADC, signaling a new era of opposition politics in Nigeria.
