Lokoja, July 15, 2025 — The political atmosphere in Kogi State took a dramatic turn on Monday as prominent politicians including Senator Tunde Ogbeha, former governor Idris Wada, and ex-lawmaker Dino Melaye officially declared support for the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing the party as the credible alternative to rescue Nigerians from hunger, insecurity, and bad governance.
Senator Ogbeha, a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), announced his resignation from the party in a letter addressed to the PDP chairman in Ward A, Lokoja. In the letter, Ogbeha cited persistent leadership crises, deepening divisions, and irreconcilable differences within the PDP as reasons for his departure.
“I have worked steadfastly to rebuild, reconcile, and reposition the PDP. But recent developments have reduced the party to a shadow of its former self,” he wrote. He said his decision to join the ADC followed consultations with his family and political associates and was driven by a desire to protect Nigeria’s democracy and push for national redemption.
At a gathering in Lokoja, Senator Dino Melaye, who represented Kogi West Senatorial District from 2015 to 2019 on the PDP platform, described the ADC as a liberation movement for Nigerians tired of economic hardship and insecurity.
“Nigerians are tired of managing an incompetent government. It is time to kill hunger and insecurity before they kill us. ADC is the party that will liberate Nigerians,” Melaye said. Though the official unveiling of ADC in Kogi was suspended in honour of late President Muhammadu Buhari, Melaye vowed the movement would gather momentum after the mourning period.
Joining the call, former Kogi governor and PDP chieftain, Idris Wada, declared his official membership of the ADC, pledging to mobilise citizens across the state to embrace the party. Similarly, Austin Okai, PDP’s 2023 House of Reps candidate, said ADC represents the masses and is a vehicle to lift Nigerians from poverty caused by “failed APC economic policies.”
Former Deputy Governor Simon Achuba also threw his weight behind the ADC, saying that after just two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Nigerians were already seeking an alternative.
Meanwhile, in Kaduna State, a coalition of opposition parties—including former members of the APC, PDP, and Labour Party—has also rallied behind the ADC. At a press conference in Kaduna, ADC spokesman Salihu Mohammed Lukeman said the coalition was prepared to challenge and defeat the APC in the 2027 general elections.
“We are united across party lines to bring down the APC’s misrule. The ADC is our common platform for a new Nigeria,” Lukeman said.
With the influx of influential figures and growing discontent across regions, the ADC appears to be positioning itself as a serious contender in the race for 2027.
