•Coalition not abandoning ADA’s application for registration with INEC—Ardo
•Says it’s part of a 2-pronged strategy
By Luminous Jannamike & John Alechenu
ABUJA — AHEAD of the 2027 presidential election, African Democratic Congress, ADC, yesterday, revealed it was not fixated on the contentious issue of zoning.
The party said it was rather focused on building a strong, grassroots-based political structure across Nigeria.
This came as the Secretary of the coalition’s Sub-Committee on the Feasibility of the Registration of a New Political Party, Dr Umar Ardo, yesterday, dismissed speculations that the coalition had abandoned its application for the registration of All Democratic Alliance, ADA.
The ADC, however, stated that it intends to reshape the country’s political system by promoting principles, practical solutions, and people-centred governance rather than relying on regional power-sharing arrangements.
In an exclusive interview, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party’s approach to the 2027 election would prioritise merit and national interest over traditional zoning.
He also explained that the ADC is concentrating on building its capacity at all levels of government.
Abdullahi said: “As for 2027, let me be clear: we are building the party to be a serious contender, not just a participant. But we are not fixated on the presidency as though it were the only prize worth winning. That kind of thinking is part of what has led to the political dysfunction we see today.
“We are focused on building capacity across all levels so that we can contest and win governorships, Senate seats, House of Reps seats, and positions in state assemblies. Yes, the question of the presidential ticket will come, but first, we are laying the foundation.
“A party cannot be something built on nothing. We must first build the structure, and when we get to the bridge, we will cross it. Our emphasis now is on readiness, organisation, and credibility. The ADC is here to give Nigerians a real alternative; not just a new name, but a new vision.”
Abdullahi criticised the current state of Nigerian politics, which he said is still deeply divided along regional and ethnic lines.
Arguing that both the APC and PDP often prioritise power-sharing over competence and unity, he described the ADC as a deliberate and necessary intervention in Nigeria’s political system.
He said: “We are not fixated on power for its own sake. Our interest is not just in changing the occupants of political offices, but in transforming the way politics is done in Nigeria.
“Structurally, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, is fundamentally different from the traditional political formations Nigerians are familiar with. The APC, for instance, came into existence in 2013 as a coalition of several parties with a singular goal: to wrest power from the PDP in 2015. It was a merger driven by expediency.
“The ADC, on the other hand, is a deliberate intervention, born out of necessity by a coalition of individuals who recognised that Nigeria was sliding dangerously toward a one-party state. It is a conscious response to a political vacuum.
“Over the past decade, what we have witnessed is the gradual erosion of meaningful opposition in Nigeria.
“Functionally, the APC has governed without checks, and the PDP has struggled to offer coherent alternatives. Take power away from the APC and you will find there is little holding it together; no clear ideology, no distinct vision.
“For 10 years, Nigerians have been without a viable opposition, until now. Since the ADC was adopted by the coalition on July 2, we’ve begun to offer a bold and issue-based engagement with the ruling party. That’s the role we are stepping into.
“The ADC is not just here to oppose; we are here to present a better way of doing politics; focused, principled, and people-driven.”
Abdullahi said the ADC is currently focused on mobilising support at the grassroots and building credible, community-led party structures across the country.
“When it comes to grassroots mobilisation, we are doing the hard work. Real political change does not begin in high offices; it starts at the grassroots.
“Beyond the profile of Peter Obi, the ADC has credible political leaders and organisers in the SouthEast and SouthSouth who are putting in the work to establish strong, community-based structures.
“In the SouthWest, we’ve seen impressive signs; the crowd that turned out for our rally in Ekiti on Saturday was not by accident. Look at the impressive momentum Aregbesola generated in Osun recently. Across the country, something is stirring, and the ADC is giving it direction.
“We are challenging the idea that opposition politics must be noisy or reactionary. Ours is a politics of ideas, of solutions, of national renewal.
“Our emphasis now is on readiness, organisation, and credibility. The ADC is here to give Nigerians a real alternative—not just a new name, but a new vision,” he said.
Coalition not abandoning ADA’s application for registration with INEC — Ardo
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Coalition’s Sub-Committee on the Feasibility of the Registration of a New Political Party ahead of the 2027 elections, Dr Umar Ardo, yesterday, dismissed speculations that the coalition has abandoned its application for the registration of the All Democratic Alliance, ADA.
Ardo, who was reacting to a question on the status of the coalition’s bid for the registration of ADA, in the light of the adoption of the ADC as the platform by the coalition of opposition political parties, said: “The coalition is anchored on a two-pronged approach. Yes, the ADC is there, but we are not abandoning our application for the registration of ADA.”
He said: “The only mistake is the ADC getting Senator David Mark as chairman, which has given the impression that the ADC is the coalition.
“Our application is still undergoing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s processes and procedures. I believe by next week, we will get clarity.
“If you recall, only last week, INEC announced to the nation that it has tested its party registration portal and that it would inform political associations which pre-qualify to upload their particulars.
“We are waiting. I do not doubt in my mind that the ADA will be the party that will form government in 2027.
“There is no doubt that Nigerians are tired of the maladministration of the Bola Tinubu administration.
“It was the considered opinion of the feasibility committee, which was chaired by former Rivers State governor, Rotimi Ameachi, that registering a new political party isn’t just a tactical manoeuvre.
“It is a bold and strategic move that will redefine the opposition’s purpose, unite stakeholders and mobilise public sentiment in its favour.”
This, he further explained, will also create an authentic alternative to entrenched political forces and galvanise popular momentum to inspire hope.”
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