The African Democratic Congress (ADC) appears to have been adopted as the new political platform for Nigeria’s opposition coalition, following its adoption by politicians committed to challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 elections.
ADC was reportedly adopted by coalition leaders on Tuesday night, after they backtracked on an earlier resolve to go into the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, the coalition had been formally announced on March 20.
However, a decision on which political platform to adopt had been delayed by several rounds of talks, initially with the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The SDP had appeared the frontrunner after El-Rufai defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), sparking a wave of interest from his supporters and other northern political leaders. But cracks soon emerged.
SDP’s national chairman, Shehu Gabam, ruled out participation in any party merger, publicly declaring that the party would not allow itself to be used as a “special-purpose vehicle by selfish politicians.”
Following weeks of consultations, coalition leaders met in Abuja on Tuesday night and resolved, among other decisions, to adopt the ADC as their platform of choice, Daily Trust gathered.
The meeting was confirmed by El-Rufai in Katsina yesterday, although he did not disclose details of what was agreed.
“Yesterday at 8 p.m., there was a very important meeting of the coalition we are putting together to ensure that President Tinubu returns to Lagos in 2027. But we will keep the minister (referring to Bosun Tijjani, the minister of communications and digital economy) because he is doing well,” El-Rufai said during remarks at Arewa Tech Fest.
Speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, Paul Ibe, media adviser to Atiku Abubakar, confirmed the ADC’s adoption as the coalition’s platform.
“Yes, ADC has been agreed as the party,” he said. “The coalition leaders have set up relevant committees and directed them to resolve grey areas in the arrangement and prepare for a public unveiling,” he added, when asked about the terms agreed with the ADC.
On the breakdown of talks with the SDP, Ibe said, “The SDP was never really a platform under serious consideration. It was a strategic move to house the CPC component of the APC ahead of a formal transition. You could call it a container to absorb CPC elements before moving to the final platform.”
“But they’ve moved beyond the SDP now. They are now in the ADC.”
Explaining the rationale behind the ADC choice, he said, “The party met all the coalition’s requirements. The coalition leaders were clear about what they were looking for in a platform, and ADC must have satisfied those expectations.”
While stating he was not privy to all the specific requirements, Ibe noted that ADC was not the only party considered, but it was ultimately chosen at the end of the process.
“The coalition is now official, but there is still work for the committees to do, including finalising the party structure and leadership. The public unveiling will simply formalise what was achieved during Tuesday night’s meeting of all major stakeholders.”
While it was gathered that the coalition leaders have yet to reach a consensus on who will fly the party’s flag in the 2027 presidential election, sources indicated that the unspoken understanding is that the conversation would likely commence now that the platform issue has been settled.
One source said, “Everyone will be allowed to contest for the presidency,” adding that there is a tacit gentleman’s agreement that whoever emerges as the candidate would receive the backing of the rest.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) was established in 2005 by a group of political activists and reform-minded Nigerians. The key figure behind it is Ralphs Okey Nwosu, who has served as the party’s national chairman since its inception. The party positions itself as a centrist platform advocating inclusive governance, youth empowerment and national development.
Over the years, the ADC has participated in several general elections, fielding presidential candidates and contesting legislative seats. In the 2023 presidential election, the party nominated Dumebi Kachikwu as its flag bearer. While it has consistently taken part in presidential races, its candidates have not secured significant vote shares. For instance, in 2023, the party polled 81,919 votes, placing fifth overall behind the APC’s Bola Tinubu, PDP’s Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s Peter Obi and the NNPP’s Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
In the 2019 election, the ADC candidate, the late Dr Obadiah Mailafia, garnered 97,874 votes to finish fourth out of 73 candidates. In 2015, the party fielded Dr Mani Ibrahim Ahmad, who polled 29,666 votes and placed seventh out of 14 contestants.
In the 2023 National Assembly elections, Leke Abejide was re-elected to represent Yagba Federal Constituency in Kogi State under the ADC platform. He won with 23,271 votes, defeating candidates from both the APC and PDP. The party also secured another House of Representatives seat through Salman Idris, who was elected to represent Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu Federal Constituency of Kogi State, although he has since defected to the APC.
Analysts believe the ADC’s consistency in past presidential elections, where it has steadily emerged behind the major contenders, positioned it as a viable option for the emerging coalition—especially given the ongoing internal crises in the three leading opposition parties: PDP, LP and NNPP.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP), earlier considered by the coalition, reportedly fell short of expectations after concerns emerged that the ruling APC may have influence over its leadership, raising fears that the party could face the same fate as other compromised opposition platforms before 2027.
It was also gathered that the coalition factored in the possibility that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) might exercise its power to deregister political parties that fail to meet the threshold of winning seats in the National Assembly or state legislatures. This concern further tilted the preference toward the ADC.
Similarly, the absence of leadership tussles within the party since its inception was also seen as a positive factor.
Also speaking to Daily Trust yesterday, ADC National Chairman Ralphs Nwosu confirmed the party would meet today with the committee it had set up to interface with the coalition.
“The coalition discussion is ongoing. We are still engaging many patriots—party leaders and civil society actors. If it works out, it’s not about quid pro quo. It’s about Nigeria,” Nwosu said.
“It’s for anyone ready to make sacrifices to save this country and make Nigeria work. As we speak, the poverty rate is alarming—75.5 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line. The only way we can reposition our country to become a continental leader and attain global relevance is through sacrifice. So anyone joining this coalition must be ready to make that sacrifice.”
Asked if he had personally met Atiku, Obi or El-Rufai, Nwosu replied in the negative.
“What ADC has done is to set up two major committees. Each has a chairman, a secretary and members. One committee is led by Dr Bamidele Ganiyu Ajadi, our deputy national chairman in charge of politics. He heads one of them.
“The second committee is led by Dr Mani Ibrahim Ahmad. They’ve been travelling across the country, engaging with different actors, and they’re expected to brief us officially. That’s why we’re all in Abuja. They will brief us tomorrow (Thursday).”
He added: “We’ll have a major NWC and NEC meeting tomorrow, where we’ll receive committee briefings. By then, we should have more clarity.”
Asked about the committees’ terms of reference, Nwosu said: “Nigeria first, always. That’s number one. Then inclusion, which our handshake symbol represents. We must embrace full inclusiveness. There are those unwilling to do that—we don’t want to work with them.
“Our handshake says it all: a handshake across Nigeria. Members of this coalition must also have a continental worldview. You can’t focus solely on local, narrow, ethnocentric perspectives. That’s why we are the African Democratic Congress. Nigeria has over 20 per cent of Africa’s population. You can’t discuss Nigeria’s future without a continental approach.
“This is Africa’s moment. These are the parameters the committees were given—to prioritise inclusion and a strong African continental vision.”
On the involvement of APC members, Nwosu said: “This coalition is broad-based. We have people from all political parties, including APC, joining us. Many APC members are pushing for it because they’re disillusioned. What they see now is not what they bargained for.
“Many of our politicians start out with good intentions but get trapped in systems that corrupt them. This coalition process has taken over six months, and some ask why. It’s because we make people reflect deeply before any engagement. Are you ready to put Nigeria first? How can we correct past mistakes? If you’ve been a governor or held any position, how can you make amends and help us move forward?
“Those reflections have taken place—and they will continue. By the grace of God, by 2027, Nigeria will have a president ready to act from day one, one who will fundamentally change the country’s strategic direction.”
Recall that Nwosu had last week hinted that the party had been chosen as the coalition’s platform to challenge the ruling APC in the 2027 general election.
Speaking during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting last Thursday through the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Mani Ahmed, Nwosu said that while the process of building consensus had been painstaking and time-consuming, it had now reached a decisive phase.
“I can categorically, today, by the grace of God, inform you that the African Democratic Congress is the coalition party in Nigeria. What remains to be done is nothing other than dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s,” he said.
He added that the coalition presents a significant opportunity for the ADC to embrace and accommodate all Nigerians, regardless of background.
“By this gesture, we are inviting every Nigerian who loves this country to join us in this new crusade to bring about enduring democratic change in our nation by coming into our party—the African Democratic Congress—which can easily be seen as the African Democratic Coalition,” he said.
DAILY TRUST
