Barring any last-minute changes, the coalition of opposition forces is set to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday as its political platform to challenge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.
Sources familiar with the development said most coalition leaders have settled for the ADC due to concerns that their proposed platform, the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), may not be registered in time by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In May, the majority of coalition figures had already agreed to align with the ADC after talks with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) collapsed.
Once a fringe actor in national politics, the ADC has now gained momentum as the new bride among opposition forces hoping to unseat the incumbent.
The coalition unveiled on March 20, includes notable figures such as former vice-president Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, and former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai.
However, lengthy negotiations, particularly with the SDP, had delayed consensus on a platform.
A coalition member said that the ADC was chosen because it met all the coalition’s requirements.
“The leaders were clear about what they were looking for in a platform, and the ADC satisfied those expectations,” he told Daily Trust.
Despite this, some members pushed for ADA’s registration, and by June, the coalition had formally approached INEC to register ADA as a new political entity.
Dr Umar Ardo, a coalition leader, confirmed that while most leaders have adopted the ADC, efforts to register ADA would continue.
“Most of the leaders have adopted ADC, and they will formally announce their position on Wednesday. But we’ve also agreed that both efforts can proceed simultaneously,” Ardo said.
He praised INEC for acknowledging the coalition’s application, citing a letter dated June 27, signed by the commission’s secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony, which confirmed that the application was being processed in line with the 2022 political party guidelines.
Addressing concerns that the dual-track approach could create division, Ardo argued that both strategies were complementary.
“Registering a new party is a process—just like adopting an existing one. Both efforts involve grassroots mobilisation and membership drives. Ultimately, they converge at the same objective,” he said.
Ardo listed two major reasons for preferring a new party: the risk of manipulation and the exclusion of committed coalition members.
He said fusing into an existing party like the ADC could expose the coalition to entrenched interests and legal complications.
“The ADC has executives elected in December 2022 who won’t step aside until their terms expire in 2026—well after the primaries. That’s a legal landmine,” he said.
He also warned that adopting an existing party structure could alienate grassroots coalition members.
Ardo, who leads the Northern League of Democrats, rejected suggestions that the coalition’s goal is solely to remove Tinubu.
“If our sole goal is to remove Tinubu in 2027, then we’re no different from the political forces that removed Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. We must go beyond that.
“The coalition should spearhead a renaissance—to change how things are done in this country,” he said.
Politics NG
