The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has attributed the absence of serving governors in its fold to alleged intimidation by the Bola Tinubu-led administration.
The party has, however, asserted that such tactics will not deter its mission to unseat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking after a closed-door session of the National Political Consultative Group (North) held in Abuja on Saturday, ADC spokesman Malam Bolaji Abdullahi said the party is undeterred by the absence of high-profile defections, stressing that it enjoys broad grassroots support and remains Nigeria’s most viable alternative for national transformation.
“We know that no serving governor will want to come to us now because of the kinds of intimidation they are facing. But we are convinced that we are a movement backed by the majority of Nigerians who are not happy with the direction this country is going,” Abdullahi stated.
The meeting, which took place at the Continental Hotel, was attended by several opposition politicians including former Senate President and Interim National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark; former SGF, Babachir Lawal; former Kaduna State governor, Malam Nasir El-Rufai; former Attorney-General Abubakar Malami (SAN); Senator Dino Melaye; Malam Kashim Imam; Alhaji Adamu Maina Waziri; and Chairman of the ADC Board of Trustees, Dr. Mani Ibrahim.
Dismissing predictions that the ADC would implode within six months, Abdullahi said, “When we started, they said it was dead on arrival. Now they’re giving us six months. After six months, they’ll extend it. This coalition represents the urgent desire of Nigerians to be free from the current crisis of existence.”
According to him, the ADC remains resilient and grounded, receiving daily endorsements from across the country. “Every Nigerian who is hungry, who is unable to pay school fees, whose salary is worthless, knows that the only alternative today is the ADC,” he said.
On concerns about possible hijack of the party by vested interests, he assured that the party’s functional structures and broad-based participation would guard against any form of takeover by a cabal.
In his keynote address, Interim Chairman Senator David Mark lamented the deteriorating conditions in the North, noting that the region was “bleeding profusely” and urgently needed healing. “The North is bleeding, and we are the only ones who can heal it,” he declared, speaking on the theme Peace and Social Cohesion: A Panacea to Challenges in the North.
Also speaking, Babachir Lawal said Northerners have mandated their leaders to use the ADC as the platform to drive regional interests. “Our people have encouraged us, directed us, and mandated us to organise ourselves to deliver through the ADC,” he affirmed.
On fears of electoral manipulation in 2027, Lawal was emphatic: “Votes do count and we are going to make sure they count. Whatever techniques or malicious activity APC throws at us, we will counter it and defeat them at it.”
The ADC maintained that it would match the APC tactic for tactic and declared itself battle-ready for the 2027 elections.