The National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress, led by Interim National Chairman, David Mark, has assured the party’s state chairmen of their inclusion in the opposition coalition aiming to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The assurance was given during a strategic meeting held on Thursday between the ADC NWC, state chairmen, and selected stakeholders at the Abuja residence of the interim chairman.
On July 2, 2023, ADC presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, along with some state chairmen, accused Mark and the interim National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, of being imposed on the party and alleged that they were plotting to remove certain state chairmen.
Aregbesola also addressed members of the party in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Thursday, soliciting support for the party.
Speaking after the Abuja meeting, the interim national spokesman, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi, reaffirmed the party leadership’s commitment to closely collaborating with its state chapters.
He stated, “We have invited all the state chairmen to this meeting to reassure them that we don’t have any intention to push them away. 37 state chairmen, including FCT, were present here.
“And the purpose is to dispel all kinds of falsehood and rumours that have been going around the country that we have come to take over this party from them and to push them away.
“We don’t have any intention to shove them off. We are here to work with them as partners to build a stronger political party. They are assured and they are going to leave Abuja today more confident than they were yesterday that they are partners in the building of this coalition.”
When asked about the remarks made by the party’s former presidential candidate who rejected the coalition and criticised the new ADC leadership, Abdullahi responded: “A presidential candidate is not an officer of the party.”
He said, “A presidential candidate is just someone, a member of the party. We are on solid legal ground.
“If anyone has any evidence to show that we have violated our own constitution, we are open to be challenged. No member of ADC has disagreed with the process so far.” Commenting on the development, ADC Forum Chairman and Kogi State Chairman, Kingsley Ogga, stated that they had no issues with the party’s new leadership.
He said, “We have been in this process almost three years now. We have been carried along on what they are going to do, and how they are going to do it.
“We sat down together, we deliberated together. That is how we did it before we came to this particular point we are at now, the coalition.”
“Every one of us, everybody was carried along. We were all carried along and we were part of it. And we have also supported what is coming up now.” In addition to Mark and Abdullahi, other coalition leaders present at the meeting were former Cross River State Governor Liyel Imoke, former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Tunde Ogbeha, former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, among several others.
Expressing optimism that ADC would defeat the ruling All Progressive Congress in the next general election, Aregbesola called on party members to work together to achieve success in the subsequent elections.
The former minister for interior stressed the need for party members to put aside their personal interests, and differences and work towards a common goal of taking over power from the ruling APC.
He said: “Let us work together, let us put personal interest aside and let’s get united.
“It is that unity we want. We should remember that we have many elections ahead, we have the presidential, we have the National Assembly and state assembly elections.
“We still have time but with a big task. If we unite, we won’t be defeated in the elections. Unity is very paramount in this situation,” he said.
According to him, the ADC had garnered significant support from prominent members of the opposition parties, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Senate President David Mark and former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, among others.
The candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in the November Ondo State governorship election, Mr Gbenga Edema, said the essence of the meeting was for Aregbesola to brief members of the ADC in the state over the affairs of the coalition.
“Less than two weeks ago, the coalition decided to adopt the ADC as the party for which we are going to manage our affairs as a political party.
“Ever since then, we have not had the opportunity or the privilege of somebody at the national level to brief us and you see that when he came, he gave us a lot of insight,” he said.
A former chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr Akin Akinbobola, said the coalition was on the right path, lamenting that Nigeria was sinking and there was a need to quickly salvage it.
