ABUJA — The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is intensifying its political offensive against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing hijack claims by former presidential candidate Dumebi Kachikwu, warning of legal traps by the ruling party, and criticising Nigeria’s exclusion from a major U.S. trade summit.
At a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, ADC Interim National Chairman David Mark reaffirmed the party’s neutrality toward any 2027 presidential aspirant, stressing that all contenders must wait until the party’s internal structures are solidified.
“The ADC has no preferred or favoured presidential aspirant,” Mark stated. “We must first build a platform that is attractive and acceptable to the majority of Nigerians.”
He urged party unity and warned against placing personal ambition above party-building. “I don’t own this party more than any other member. We must show Nigerians that ADC is different—a party ready to run democracy properly in this country,” he said.
Amid swirling rumours involving high-profile politicians such as Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, and Rotimi Amaechi, ADC leadership has ordered all presidential hopefuls to suspend public declarations of intent.
Party strategist Salihu Lukman, appearing on AIT’s Jigsaw, said the ADC would not allow any figure to hijack the party structure. He also dismissed Kachikwu’s hijack allegation, saying the former candidate had been expelled and lacked the legitimacy to question the party’s leadership.
“In fact, by INEC’s own records, Kachikwu and others were expelled,” Lukman said. “We went through due diligence before forming this coalition. The leadership under Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola is legitimate.”
He warned of a legal onslaught allegedly being plotted by APC forces to destabilise the ADC and its newly formed coalition. The party says it has mobilised 98 lawyers to defend its mandate in court.
ADC’s National Legal Support Group leader, Mohammed Sheriff, said the move reflects strong backing from Nigeria’s legal community. “This overwhelming support shows confidence in our cause and commitment to defending democracy,” he noted.
In a related development, the ADC sharply criticised Nigeria’s absence from a recent U.S.-Africa trade summit hosted at the White House, describing it as a “damning verdict on Nigeria’s declining global relevance.”
“The U.S. chose to bypass us in favour of nations whose combined GDP is a fraction of ours,” said Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC’s interim spokesperson. “Size means nothing without leadership, transparency, and accountability.”
The party linked the diplomatic failure to what it called President Bola Tinubu’s “incoherent foreign policy and weak economic management,” warning that Nigeria’s influence in regional blocs like ECOWAS is also diminishing.
Meanwhile, the APC has responded with a blistering counterattack, labelling the ADC a “coalition of inept politicians.” APC National Publicity Secretary Felix Morka dismissed the opposition party’s allegations of a federal plot as “phantom lies” and a cover-up for its internal disarray.
“The ADC is drowning in confusion and doesn’t need our help to fall apart,” Morka said, calling its coalition members “failed and restless contenders” with no viable plan for Nigeria.
He further accused the coalition of harboring “vainglorious personalities” and challenged them to offer any credible policy alternative to what President Tinubu is currently implementing.
Adding fuel to the political fire, presidential adviser Bayo Onanuga alleged a conspiracy to oust President Tinubu, accusing unnamed individuals of attempting to derail what he described as “the most focused and transformative administration in Nigerian history.”
“These haters of Nigeria’s progress are banding together to overthrow an administration that is finally getting things done,” Onanuga said via X (formerly Twitter).
The ADC, however, insists it is determined to challenge what it calls the APC’s “propaganda-driven leadership,” calling on Nigerians to demand accountability and transparency ahead of the 2027 elections.
With the opposition firming up its coalition and the ruling party on the defensive, the political tempo is rising—signalling early battle lines ahead of Nigeria’s next presidential contest.
