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2027: Coalition Movement Formally Adopts ADC As Official Political Platform
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Following coordinated bid to wrest power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2027, the opposition coalition has formally adopted African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its official political platform for the 2027 elections.
The coalition concluded plans to unveil the party today at a ceremony in Abuja, where it intended to make public the interim leaders and members of the party.
Already, upon the adoption of ADC, the coalition appointed former Senate President David Mark as its national chairman and former governor of Osun State and immediate past Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, as national secretary, while former Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi, was made spokesperson of the party.
Some prominent leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called on other members of the party to join the coalition ahead of the 2027 election.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar; mark; former Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido; former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tom Ikimi; former Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Aminu Wali; and former National Chairman of PDP, Uche Secondus, were among the party’s leaders, who called for a rethink of the current political situation.
They contended that both the opposition PDP and the ruling APC had failed Nigeria and Nigerians.
Nonetheless, after a marathon meeting, which ended a few minutes past midnight, the coalition crossed a major hurdle in its quest to play a major role in the 2027 general election and its resolve to upstage the ruling APC.
The coalition had earlier indicated interest in registering a new party, All Democratic Alliance (ADA), after initial talks with ADC and Social Democratic Party (SDP) had broken down. But when it seemed like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was going to frustrate a new registration effort, it re-strategised and resumed talks with ADC.
While ADC is believed to share very strong affiliation with a former president (name withheld), the renewed talks with the original owners of the party seemed to have yielded some good, resulting in the eventual adoption of the party and the unveiling billed to hold at 2pm today.
Aregbesola was said to have initially turned down the nomination after someone believed to be close to him allegedly asked him not to accept it. But after much pressure, he eventually agreed to work with the coalition.
Accepting his appointment as national secretary, Aregbesola said, “It is with deep humility, profound sense of duty and unwavering hope for our people, nation, race and party that I accept the appointment as the national secretary of our great party.”
He spoke further, “Let me begin by saying this: a political party is not a platform for opportunism. It is not a mere vehicle to power for the few, not a tool for personal ambition. A political party, in its truest form, is a living institution built on values, guided by ideals and accountable to the people it seeks to serve.
“Throughout Africa’s history and, particularly, in the legacy of the African National Congress (ANC) of South Africa – a 113 year-behemoth of party organisation that is impeccable in its credibility as a model of supremacy of party over its creation (government and popularly elected officials), (we have) seen what a party grounded in ideology, principle and people-centred struggle can achieve.
“The ANC is not perfect but it stands for something. It was forged in resistance, sharpened by vision and led by men and women who believe in justice, dignity, equality, inclusivity of all interests and true freedom. It has character. It has soul. It is, therefore, a true platform for the expression of their aspirations.
“Sadly, in Nigeria today, we cannot say the same about many of our political parties. Our political landscape is plagued by parties that lack ideological depth. They are empty shells, merging and splitting, not over policy or principle, but over power and personality. There is little regard for the people and even less for the country.
“That is not the kind of party we must be. That is not the kind of party I will serve. As the national secretary, I will work to build a party that has a clear ideological compass; a party that is absolutely committed to the people, rooted in democratic values, rule of law, social justice, accountability, transparency, and national development.
“A party that listens and works for the people, not only during elections, but every single day. We must become an institution where internal democracy is not just preached but practised; intra-party competition is transparent, fair and just; all party structures from the ward to the national level function effectively and efficiently; young people, women, and the marginalised have a real voice, not symbolic inclusion.”
Aregbesola said, “All special and critical interests – security, educators, farmers, workers, women, youth, professionals, people with special needs, etc – must be recognised and allowed to have autonomous structures within the party.”
According to the former governor, “We will model international best practices in party organisation, administration and ethics. We will study what works, from South Africa to Sweden, from Chile to Kenya, and adapt what fits our local reality. Discipline, order, clarity of purpose and service to the people must define us.
“We must be the party that talks about public education and actually builds schools. That speaks of security and supports real policies to keep our communities safe. That believes in jobs and works to create them. That stands for Nigeria, not just during elections but in everyday governance. This is not an easy task. It will take time. It will demand sacrifice.
“But it can be done.”
Earlier, in a communique by the PDP stalwarts, who operated under the auspices of Concerned Leaders of the PDP, signed by Mark, the group said, “The meeting encourages all well-meaning PDP members and other patriotic Nigerians to join the coalition.
“All coalition partners must be united on the issues of national unity, democracy, national security, national economy, and the political will to stamp out corruption embedded in our institutions.
“The coalition partners to work out the modalities of winning all elections taking into consideration local and national peculiarities.”
Other PDP leaders, who attended the meeting, were a former governor of Cross River State, Lylel Imoke; former governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu; former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu; former governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal; and former governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam.
Also at the meeting were former Minister of Police Affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri; Senator Tunde Ogbeha; Senator Ben Obi; Mrs. Josephine Anenih; former PDP National Financial Secretary, Abdullahi Maibasira; former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan; Senator Abdul Ninge; and former National Organising Secretary, Senator Austin Akobundu.
According to the communique, “The meeting of Concerned Leaders of our great Party PDP was called to discuss the disturbing condition the party has been sunk into.
“Since our loss in the last presidential election and the exit of Dr. Iyorchia Ayu as National Chairman, our dear party has never been the same again.
“Vested interests from within and the irresponsible actions of the APC-led federal government, which has been using state institutions to stifle and destroy the democracy, knows no bounds!
“The inability of PDP leadership to lead the party by its constitution, rules and regulations led it into a chaotic and undisciplined party.”
The communique stated further, “The vision of the founding fathers for which the party was established and the role it played in restoring Nigeria as a stable and united country and key player on the regional, continental, and global stage have been washed away, just as our role as the leader of the black race is now overtaken by smaller and less endowed countries.
“Painfully, Nigeria is now a diminished country and an embarrassment on the world stage. The meeting took time to deliberate deeply on the issues of democracy, national unity, national security, economy, corruption, governance, and other concerns plaguing our country.”
The communique stated, “Arising from the above, the meeting hereby resolved as follows: the APC government, which came into being on the false and evil propaganda, to save Nigeria from PDP, is now a disaster to our nation and, therefore, must be voted out of power.
“All indices of development that support the comfort and quality of lives of the citizens have collapsed, and life is now hell in Nigeria. The PDP, which is organic with the discipline, capacity, and history to lead and save Nigeria, is now a shadow of its old self.
“The heatwave unleashed by the APC federal government through threats, blackmail and patronage has forced elected officers in government to abandon the PDP.
“The adopted political party for the coalition will be unveiled Wednesday in Asokoro, Abuja.”
Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has denied saying the Federal government will introduce a fuel tax when the economy stabilises and income levels improve.
In a post on X on Tuesday, Oyedele said his remarks during an interview with ARISE News was misrepresented, insisting that a “fuel tax is not on the table.”
However, during the interview with Rotus Odiri, ARISE News Business Correspondent, on the sidelines of the 2026 International Monetary Fund and World Bank annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, Oyedele said the tax would come when income levels improve enough for Nigerians to accommodate it.
He said taxes account for between 20 and 80 percent of pump prices in some countries, while many African countries impose between six and 10 different taxes on fuel products.
He said introducing fuel tax while petrol was still subsidised would have been counterproductive because government would effectively be paying the tax itself.
According to him, imposing the tax immediately after removal of petrol subsidy would be insensitive to Nigerians.
“The objective should be that instead of trying to suppress prices, which hasn’t worked for us, it hasn’t worked for any country in the world, not one. Instead of trying to suppress prices, think about how to grow income faster than prices rise,” Oyedele said.
“That’s how you bring prosperity and grow the middle class and that is exactly what we are doing as led by Mr. President himself.
“At the appropriate time, when the economy has stabilizes and income level will be able to accommodate it, those taxes will come. Not because we want to impose taxes,” he added.
In his Tuesday post, the minister reiterated that introducing a fuel tax at this time would be insensitive following removal of petrol subsidy, describing reports that government will introduce the levy when the economy stabilises as “fake news.”
A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Deputy Director of the Presidential Campaign Council, Chief Dele Momodu, has described former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as the most nationally formidable and experienced among the leading contenders for the 2027 presidential election.
Momodu said Atiku’s experience at the national level distinguishes him from President Bola Tinubu and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi.
He stated this on Wednesday during an interview on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, in Abeokuta.
“If you look at the antecedents of the three major candidates, between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, you will see that Atiku is the most experienced. He has managed our country at the highest level,” he said.
Momodu traced Atiku’s political journey to the 1992 Social Democratic Party (SDP), presidential primary where he contested against late MKO Abiola and stepped down for him.
He said Atiku accepted the outcome without crisis even after he was not picked as Abiola’s running mate, describing it as a mark of true democratic temperament.
“He is the only one who started from around 1992, contested the SDP primary against Abiola and stepped down with uncommon equanimity. He did not make any noise,” Momodu said.
He noted that Atiku was among the founders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and served as Vice-President from 1999 to 2007.
Comparing Atiku with Obi, Momodu argued that while Obi’s best was demonstrated in Anambra, Atiku’s was at the presidency level managing the national economy.
“Peter Obi has tried his best in Anambra, while Atiku’s best is at the level of vice president controlling the economy of Nigeria. The difference is clear. He has matured in experience and exposure,” he said.
Momodu also said President Tinubu’s experience was largely limited to Lagos.
“What I’m trying to say is that Tinubu’s experience was limited to Lagos, and that is why when he became president, he thought Nigeria was Lagos. And he has found out now that Nigeria is not Lagos,” he said.
He argued that the current economic hardship under the present administration did not show prosperity, insisting Atiku remained better positioned to lead the country.
“Well, we are yet to see that prosperity, and if yesterday would determine today and tomorrow, it is obvious that Tinubu should retire now and let someone else do it,” Momodu added.
DailyPost
President Bola Tinubu says he has no regrets over the removal of petrol subsidy and other economic reforms introduced by his administration, insisting that Nigeria could not borrow its way to greatness.
Meanwhile, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has warned Nigerians against returning to petrol subsidy. He said the backtrack could trigger capital flight, undermining investor confidence and pushing the Naira to N3,000, N3,500 or even N4,000 per dollar.
But the Director of Media and Publicity of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Kola Ologbondiyan, challenged Oyedele to publish the economic model behind his warning that a return to fuel subsidy could push the naira to N4,000 per dollar.
The President spoke on Monday during the City Boys Movement retreat in Abuja, where he charged members of the group to mobilise support for his administration ahead of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the country’s future mattered more than the ambition of any individual candidate.
“No regrets,” Tinubu said, insisting that his administration would not be pushed back from its reform agenda.
He took a swipe at his political opponents, promising to restore the petrol subsidy, saying Nigeria could no longer afford to pay the fuel subsidy, and warning that reversing the policy would take the country back to an unsustainable economic path.
Defending his decision to remove the subsidy on his first day in office, Tinubu said the country was on the verge of financial collapse and could no longer afford the policy’s cost.
Tinubu also sought to reassure Nigerians about the direction of the economy, arguing that growth was steady and that the sacrifices associated with his reforms would ultimately offer citizens a future worth believing in.
Oyedele disclosed during a press briefing of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual Meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday, that investors had repeatedly questioned whether the government would abandon its reforms ahead of the next election cycle.
Ruling out the reversal of the government’s economic reforms, he maintained that any signal that Tinubu’s administration was contemplating or reinstating the subsidy would immediately affect financial markets, raise borrowing costs and worsen economic pressures on households.
“In all the meetings I have had, I came to a conclusion that the markets, including the domestic market, which you can read from the capital market, and the international market, have largely written off the opposition in Nigeria as unserious.
“If, for any reason, the President were to say we are merely considering the return of fuel subsidy, capital would react immediately, airfares would struggle, the naira would come under severe pressure, potentially moving towards 3,000, 3,500 or even 4,000.
The very fuel people want subsidised would become far more expensive in Naira terms,” Oyedele warned.
However, Ologbondiyan accused the Federal government of using fear to discourage debate on fuel subsidy, insisting that Nigerians deserve evidence, not alarming projections, on the potential economic consequences of restoring the policy.
Speaking to journalists, he described the minister’s warning as scaremongering and demanded that the government explain how it arrived at the projected exchange rate.
“The Minister of Finance is merely scaremongering. He cannot claim that a return to fuel subsidy will cause the naira to depreciate to N4,000 to the dollar without showing Nigerians the model behind that projection,” he said.
He questioned the reliance on investors’ concerns to oppose a subsidy’s return, challenging the government to identify the sources of the projections and disclose their calculations.
