APC watch your back, ADC is coming!

“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.” – Senator David Mark in his acceptance speech as the Interim National Chairman of ADC on Wednesday, July 2, 2025.

On Wednesday July 2, 2025, political juggernauts across several political parties decided to adopt the African Democratic Congress as the platform to wrestle power from the incumbent All Progressives Congress, Among the notable politicians that gathered at the Yar’Adua Centre venue of the unveiling of the new platform are the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex-National Chairman of the ruling APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, erstwhile President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, former governor  of Osun State and immediate past Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, presidential candidate of Labour Party in the 2023, Peter Obi, ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai and immediate past Minister of Transportation and ex-governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Ameachi, to mention a few.

As reported by The Guardian newspaper of Nigeria on July 2, 2025, “In a bold and unexpected political realignment that could reshape Nigeria’s opposition landscape, the ADC has named former Senate President David Mark as its Interim National Chairman and ex-Governor of Osun State and estranged APC chieftain Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary. Also appointed was former Minister of Sports and former PDP spokesperson Bolaji Abdullahi, who emerged as the party’s Interim National Publicity Secretary. The former National Chairman of the ADC, Ralph Nwosu, who now chairs the party’s Integrity and Equilibration Committee, confirmed the development in a telephone conversation.”

Senator David Mark in his acceptance speech said inter alia “It is on record that within two years of the current administration coming to power, it has hijacked all democratic institutions, and sent our country on a creeping descent into total civilian dictatorship. 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 or options in 2027. This coalition is to prevent our country’s descent into a one-party state.”

It remains to be seen whether this ADC will be a tsunami that will sweep away the ruling APC or whether it will be an overrated third force that it was when former President Olusegun Obasanjo adopted it as a game changer ahead of 2019 General Elections. I have been privileged to discuss the emergence of this Third Force on several media platforms including Channels Television, Midas Radio 90.5 FM, Ado Ekiti, TV 360, New Cruse 92.7 FM, Ikere Ekiti, Enyimba 94.3 FM, Aba, 24 News Radio-TV, Ado Ekiti, Rhythm 93.7 FM Lagos, Daily Trust, Silverbird TV, and just yesterday on Politics Nationwide on Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria where I was on the set with the National Vice Chairman, ADC North Central, Dr.  Daniel Edeh.

From my interaction with Daniel Edeh yesterday, he was able to establish that unlike what his national chairman said that party executives have resigned to pave way for interim management of the party, he said only the former national chairman Ralph Nwosu and the National Secretary, Alhaji Saeed Abdullahi resigned and that all the other structures of the party remain intact. He said further that Dumebi Kachikwu who was the presidential candidate of the party in 2023 had been expelled and he has no right to speak on behalf of the party. He said Kachikwu came to the party two months to the party primary in 2022 and allegedly “dangled dollars“ and was allowed to contest the presidential primary of the party which he won fair and square.

It is noteworthy that abuse of waivers is a phenomenon that cut across many of the political parties in Nigeria. Here, a member who newly joined the party which has stipulated that no member who has stayed in the party for less than six months or one year can contest in the party will decide to waive that provision by giving flimsy excuses and thereafter allow such new member to contest. It has happened that some aspirants who have lost out in the dominant party will join some less popular party, settle some key figures in their new party and be allowed to contest under their platforms. In many cases an already nominated candidate is asked to step down for the new entrant who has “wet the ground” as it is said in local parlance. This is undemocratic and inhuman. It is the height of transactional politics.

I have said that the rebranded ADC is taking off in a turbulent weather and may be too distracted to make impact in 2027. The less than transparent way in which the members of the coalition groups came into the party is already generating furore. The dissenting faction, known as the "Concerned Stakeholders of the ADC," has expressed dissatisfaction with the adoption process, citing a lack of transparency and consultation. According to Musa Isa Matara, the faction's national publicity secretary, state executives, youth and women leaders, and ward coordinators were not involved in the decision-making process. In their statement, the faction criticised the move as an elitist attempt to hijack the party, asserting that the ADC is not a "private coalition platform" for political merchants or elite dealmakers. They emphasized that the party belongs to its members and called for the preservation of its sovereignty and democratic principles.

News report yesterday, July 8, 2025 has it that three members of the ADC have filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the interim leadership of former Senate President David Mark and others.  In suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1328/2025 filed on July 4, Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu and Haruna Ismaila, are asking the court to determine the legality of the interim leadership. They averred that Nwosu lacks the right to convene either a national working committee or national executive committee meeting or any other since his tenure as national chairman has expired.  The plaintiffs also stated that interim executives “cannot and should not act” in a leadership capacity, noting that they were appointed by an illegal meeting organised by a former national chairman. It is noteworthy that ADC was registered by INEC in 2005, twenty years ago.

Should the ruling All Progressives Congress be worried by the emergence of the rebranded ADC? Well, it should. Anything is possible in politics. As I said yesterday on Radio Nigeria network, soccer pundit did not see the emergence of Leicester City as the winner of the English Premiership in the 2015-2016 league season. However, the relatively small team became giant killers as they fumbled and wobbled to victor in that league season. In politics, there is protest vote and APC should not be dismissive of opposition as mere internally displaced politicians as President Bola Tinubu has called them. Nigerians are hungry and angry with APC and may decide to punish the ruling party in 2027. For whatever it’s worth, ADC and Peoples Democratic Party are likely to put the ruling party on its toes and make it to perform ahead of the next general elections in 2027. How APC manages the transition from Ganduje to the new national chairman on July 24, 2025 and handles its scheduled December 2025 national convention will determine if there will be an implosion in APC or not.

X: @jideojong