A former Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Farouk Aliyu, has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to put their acts together ahead of the forthcoming 2027 general elections.
The former lawmaker urged the PDP to consider a merger with the ADC to remain politically relevant.
Naijaonpoint reports that Aliyu, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made the call on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.
Calling on leaders and members of the opposition parties to embrace compromise, Aliyu said internal divisions were weakening the PDP and threatening its survival.
“I call on my brothers and sisters in the Peoples Democratic Party and African Democratic Congress to put their acts together and, in my opinion, the Peoples Democratic Party should merge with the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
According to him, a merger remains one of the viable options to revive the main opposition party if it is serious about returning to political relevance.
“If the Peoples Democratic Party is dying, one way to revive it is for it to merge with the ADC,” Aliyu stated.
Aliyu noted that the failure of opposition leaders to make necessary concessions was hurting the democratic process, stressing that unity was critical for democracy to thrive.
“The way things are going, either amongst themselves they don’t come together to concede; some concession is needed, if they truly want democracy in this country to thrive,” he said.
He added that respected Nigerians were found in both parties and that their continued division was unfortunate.
“Those in the African Democratic Congress and Peoples Democratic Party are respected Nigerians; we respect them,” he said.
The former lawmaker lamented what he described as the steady decline of the PDP, warning that democracy suffers when the opposition is weak.
“Honestly, it’s sad in this country that the Peoples Democratic Party looks to be dying, and I hope the African Democratic Congress gets its act together too, and we need vibrant opposition,” he said.
“We need to oppose the government so that the people will get the best of the system.”
APC Won’t Unite Opposition – Aliyu
Aliyu dismissed suggestions that it was the responsibility of the APC to help opposition parties unite, reminding viewers that the ruling party itself emerged from a merger of different political groups.
“Remember the All Progressive Congress is a conglomeration of the All Nigeria Peoples Party, Congress for Progressive Change, Action Congress of Nigeria, and so on,” he said.
“However, they came together and formed the All Progressive Congress. So if the Peoples Democratic Party is dying, why can they go on my advice and join the African Democratic Congress?”
He reiterated that members of both opposition parties had made notable contributions to national development.
“These are people who have contributed in one way or the other for the growth of this country,” he said.
Despite his advice, Aliyu insisted that the APC was not threatened by any opposition alliance, stressing that governance was a collective responsibility.
“The country belongs to all of us and not to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
“It does not belong to him, not to you, but it belongs to all of us.”
Naijaonpoint reports that Aliyu’s comments come amid recent defections of key political figures, including governors and National Assembly members, from opposition parties to the ruling APC.
The PDP is also currently battling a deep internal crisis, with two factions laying claim to the party’s leadership, further weakening the party that governed Nigeria between 1999 and 2015.