2027: Some APC Govs In Alliance With Us -----ADC
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, says it is making moves to lure no fewer than five sitting governors into the party before the 2027 general elections.
The African Democratic Congress, ADC, says it is making moves to lure no fewer than five sitting governors into the party before the 2027 general elections.
It is strongly believed that the ADC would benefit from the crisis in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, if some governors of the party join the coalition, even as five leaders of the PDP in five states have resigned from the party to join the ADC.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former Senate President, David Mark, are among other coalition leaders who, on Wednesday formally adopted the ADC as the platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Mark and a former Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, were announced as the Interim National Chairman and Secretary of the party, respectively.
Among the prominent members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who also, joined the APC, included the former National Chairman of the party and governor of Edo State, John Oyegun; ex-Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; and former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi. They resigned their membership of the ruling party, and subsequently joined the ADC.
Similarly, notable PDP chieftains, including ex-National Chairman of the party, Uche Secondus; former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal; and former governors of Jigawa, Cross River, Benue, Imo, Niger, and Ebonyi states—Sule Lamido, Liyel Imoke, Gabriel Suswam, Emeka Ihedioha, Babangida Aliyu, and Sam Egwu, respectively, also aligned with the coalition and joined the AFC.
The serving Labour Party senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Mrs Ireti Kingibe, also joined the ADC.
Meanwhile, the PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, has warned of severe consequences for members undermining the party, by joining the ADC, insisting that its leaders remained united, even as a former presidential aide and pro-Tinubu commentator, Reno Omokri, described the ADC as a gathering of “rejected politicians and former political office holders.”
This was even as the National Vice Chairman of the APC, South-East, Ijeomah Arodiogbu, on Friday, said the absence of serving governors in the opposition coalition underscored its fragility and major setback to its chances of unseating Tinubu in 2027.
In an interview with the Saturday PUNCH, Arodiogbu said unlike the formation of the APC, which succeeded because governors joined the merger, the current coalition had attracted no sitting governor and was already showing signs of internal cracks.
“The lowest common multiple of the people driving the coalition is simply desperation for power. It is not about the Nigerian people. All they have in their agenda is how to pull down Tinubu and the APC. They don’t have anything to offer the Nigerian people.
“What people don’t know is that some of the governors, including those in the APC, are supporting us. We started this coalition planning 18 months ago, and some APC governors were contacted about a year ago. So, they are with us, but I won’t tell you any names..."
Arodiogbu argued that those behind the coalition were only trying to replicate what Tinubu achieved through the APC merger, without the same political traction.
Five PDP govs to join us — ADC insiders
Meanwhile, a credible source in the ADC disclosed that five PDP governors were expected to join the party.
The insider and former senator from Katsina State, said, “Five PDP governors have given us their commitment; they are going to join us, but they want to see the end of Wike’s drama in the PDP. Hopefully, we will meet them by the end of their next convention and review things.
Another insider, an aide to one of the former ministers and ex-governors, said he was aware that leaders of the coalition, including his principal, were in touch with seven governors on the move to sway them to the ADC.
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