The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Monday commissioned its new national secretariat in the Wuse 2 district of Abuja, marking a major step in its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
ADC National Chairman and former Senate President, David Mark, led a powerful delegation of political heavyweights to the unveiling ceremony. Those in attendance included former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola; ex-Kaduna State governor Nasir el-Rufai; former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal; and Senator Dino Melaye.
The unveiling comes barely four months after a broad coalition of opposition groups officially adopted the ADC as its political platform for the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the event, Mark charged party members and coalition partners to remain focused ahead of the polls, saying Nigerians were yearning for a credible alternative.
He declared that the coalition’s mission was not merely to win power, but to “rescue Nigeria, rebuild Nigeria, and return power to the people.”
Mark accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government of “hijacking democratic institutions” and driving the country into what he described as a “creeping civilian dictatorship” over the last two years.
According to him, the ruling party had also been “consumed with politicking” at the expense of governance, while allegedly destabilising opposition parties to pave the way for a one-party state.
“This coalition is to prevent our country’s descent into a one-party state,” he insisted.
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The ADC-led opposition bloc boasts some of the most recognisable figures in contemporary Nigerian politics, including 2023 presidential candidates Atiku Abubakar of the PDP and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
Others aligned with the movement include former Youth Minister Solomon Dalung; media publisher Dele Momodu; Senators Gabriel Suswam and Ireti Kingibe; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha; and a former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd.).
Monday’s ceremony also underscored the consolidation of the party’s leadership transition. Former ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu had in July formally handed over the party structure, presenting membership cards to Mark and Aregbesola as interim national chairman and national secretary.
With the 2027 elections drawing closer, the unveiling of the secretariat signals an intensifying mobilisation drive within the opposition coalition, which has vowed to challenge the APC’s hold on power and “rebuild the pillars of Nigeria’s democracy.”
