The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, Ralph Nwosu, has declared ADC as Nigeria’s coalition party in preparation for the 2027 election. Nwosu expresses concern over the nation's decline, emphasising the need for good governance. ADC National Chairman raised the alarm while speaking to journalists in Abuja on Thursday during the party’s National Executive Committee meeting, expressing distress over the sharp rise in the number of Nigerians living in poverty. On March 20, 2023, Atiku, the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai of the Social Democratic Party unveiled a coalition formed to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
This move has ignited an ongoing debate about whether opposition parties should unite and the best platform to use in confronting President Tinubu’s administration, with various political leaders expressing differing opinions.
Speaking through the Chairman of the ADC, Board of Trustees, Mani Ahmed, Nwosu stated, “This consensus building, though very painstaking, has taken some time in the pipeline. I can categorically today, by the grace of God, inform you that the African Democratic Congress is the coalition party in Nigeria. What remains to be done is nothing other than dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s.
“For us, this is a momentous occasion. This is a great opportunity for the party to involve and accommodate all Nigerians. And by this gesture, we are inviting every Nigerian who loves this country in their heart to join us in this new crusade to bring about an enduring democratic change in our country by coming into our party, the African Democratic Congress, which can easily be seen as the African Democratic Coalition.”
He assured that ADC will remain dedicated to the development of Nigeria as a unified and indivisible nation, where every citizen has the right to live in any part of the country and pursue lawful economic activities.
Nwosu stated, “We have watched over the years how things have gradually deteriorated to the extent that normal existence is becoming more and more difficult.
“Statistics have indicated that about 5 million Nigerians have been added to the list of poverty-stricken people in the world on an annual basis. Now this is sad for a country that is richly endowed with enormous resources.
“There cannot be any other way to bring about change in the lives of our people that is better than providing good governance. And this governance can only happen when you have the right people playing their part in the political process. ADC has over the years remained a formidable platform in the process of re-engineering Nigeria.
“Within the past 20 years of our existence, we have shown commitment to national growth. We have exhibited the highest levels of nationalism and patriotism. And we have made several sacrifices to ensure that we bequeath to our next generation a country better than the one we have met.”
He lamented that the ADC has never had the chance to lead the country but expressed optimism that 2027 will bring better prospects for the party.
ADC National Chairman stated, “The journey that created this opportunity started a very long time ago. We have had several meetings at the party to open up the party, re-engineer our processes, and be able to accommodate the teeming members of the political class that are willing and have lined up to join our great party, the African Democratic Congress.
“Within this month that we are discussing, the party has gone through lots of transformational phases, part of which has resulted in what we are going to actualise today, which is the final phase of the opening up of our party to accommodate the new people that are coming in.”
Nwosu acknowledged that politicians alone cannot change Nigeria’s course and called on civil society organisations to actively participate in the nation-building process.
He continued, “The politicians can’t do it alone and as such, in this process and this journey, we have also involved the civil society organisations as well as grassroots organisations. This is because ADC strongly believes that all politics are grassroots politics.
“And we are happy that most of our grassroots and civil society partners are here with us and they’ve been part of this journey. They have also exhibited great commitment and resilience over the months. And that has certainly reassured us that the objective is very much achievable. We are building consensus.”
