A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has rejected the adoption of the party by the coalition of opposition politicians led by former Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku.
The party’s factional national publicity secretary, Musa Isa Matara, in a statement, accused opposition politicians of hijacking the party, saying their party is not a “private coalition platform.”
According to him, the party’s state executives, youth and women leaders, and ward coordinators were not involved in the conversations that led to the adoption of the party by the coalition leaders.
The statement read in part: “We warn those coming into the ADC as part of this imposed arrangement to tread carefully. Be mindful that some few individuals are attempting to sell out the soul of our party for personal gain.
“The ADC is not for sale. It belongs to its members, not political merchants or elite dealmakers.”
The faction’s statement followed the announcement that the coalition leaders have adopted the ADC as their political platform for the 2027 election and that former Senate President David Mark and former Governor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola have been appointed as the party’s interim national chairman and national secretary, respectively.
Recall that opposition politicians pushing for a coalition, along with some ADC leaders, met in Abuja on Tuesday.
The meeting, which was attended ex-Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, David Mark, former senate president; Sule Lamido, ex-governor of Jigawa; Uche Secondus, former PDP national chairman; Babangida Aliyu, former governor of Niger; Sam Egwu, former governor of Ebonyi; Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Sokoto; and Liyel Imoke, former governor of Cross River, birthed the adoption of the ADC as the coalition’s vehicle for the 2027 election.
The coalition also announced Bolaji Abdullahi, a former minister of sports, as its spokesperson.
However, the ADC national publicity secretary has rejected the development, describing it as a ‘hijack and imposition.”
He added that the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) did not ratify recent appointments into the party.
The statement added: “The claim that the ADC has become the ‘platform of the National Opposition Coalition Group’ is misleading.
“Our millions of members have not been informed or carried along in this so-called coalition.
“If anyone is attempting to force an opposition merger without grassroots consent, they are trampling on democratic ethics and party sovereignty.
The group warned those trooping into the party under a coalition arrangement to beware that the ADC has been “battling unresolved legal crises since the 2023 general elections.”
“These matters remain in court and unresolved. Any coalition attempt built on such shaky legal ground is irresponsible and potentially self-destructive,” the faction stated.
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