As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general election, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has boldly declared it is abandoning the contentious politics of zoning, vowing instead to build a merit-driven, grassroots-powered political force capable of disrupting the dominance of the APC and PDP.
In an exclusive interview, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, said the party is “not fixated on the presidency,” and intends to challenge the status quo by reshaping Nigeria’s political discourse around competence, ideas, and genuine public service—not ethnic rotation or regionally rigged deals.
“The idea that power must rotate is part of Nigeria’s political dysfunction,” Abdullahi said. “We want to win governorships, Senate, House, and state assembly seats. The presidency is not the only prize worth winning.”
A Serious Opposition or Just Rebranding?
While Abdullahi emphasized that the ADC is preparing to be a “serious contender,” critics are questioning whether the party is merely reinventing the same old political elite with a new label. Yet the ADC insists it's different.
Unlike the APC, which Abdullahi described as a merger “driven by expediency” in 2013, he said the ADC is “a conscious intervention” responding to Nigeria’s dangerous slide toward one-party rule.
“Take power away from APC and there’s nothing left—no ideology, no vision,” Abdullahi stated. “The PDP, on the other hand, has failed to offer a coherent alternative. For 10 years, Nigeria has lacked a viable opposition. Until now.”
ADA Plot Still Alive: A Political Two-Prong Strategy
Meanwhile, Dr. Umar Ardo, Secretary of the coalition’s Sub-Committee on Party Registration, dispelled rumors that plans to register a new party—All Democratic Alliance (ADA)—have been shelved.
He confirmed that ADA is still in the pipeline, describing the movement as a two-pronged strategy: one working within the ADC, the other advancing ADA’s registration with INEC.
“We’re not abandoning ADA,” Ardo insisted. “The only misstep was letting Senator David Mark chair ADC, giving the impression it’s the coalition’s only platform.”
According to Ardo, the ADA registration—if approved—will become a “bold and strategic” new front for opposition politics, uniting reform-minded stakeholders and presenting Nigerians with what he called “a credible alternative to entrenched political forces.”
The Message: Opposition Is Getting Serious
From the SouthWest’s growing mobilization to quiet power plays in the SouthEast and SouthSouth, the ADC claims momentum is building. They cite recent rallies, including a major turnout in Ekiti and renewed political activity in Osun, allegedly driven by former Governor Rauf Aregbesola.
“We’re not here to just oppose,” Abdullahi said. “We’re here to offer a new vision of people-centered, issue-driven, practical governance.”
With Peter Obi’s popularity still a factor and Rotimi Amaechi reportedly anchoring coalition strategy, the battle lines for 2027 are blurring—and heating up.
