The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has been thrust into the center of Nigeria’s evolving political realignments as all its national executive members resigned following the adoption of the party as the official platform for a new opposition coalition involving prominent political figures across multiple parties.
The mass resignation was announced on Wednesday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja during a high-level meeting attended by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai, and ex-Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi.
Confirming the leadership overhaul, outgoing ADC National Chairman Ralph Nwosu announced the appointment of former Senate President David Mark as the party’s interim National Chairman. Former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola was named interim National Secretary.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Nwosu described the sweeping changes as a “decision made in the national interest” and positioned the ADC as a broad-based political platform for opposition forces.
“This marks the ADC’s transformation into a truly national movement co-opted by leaders from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and other stakeholders,” Nwosu said.
Wednesday’s meeting featured a constellation of political heavyweights, including former Minister of Youth and Sports Solomon Dalung; Senator Dino Melaye; PDP chieftain and publisher Dele Momodu; former Benue State governor Gabriel Suswam; Labour Party Senator Ireti Kingibe; former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Emeka Ihedioha; and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (retd.).
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Top opposition leaders had on Tuesday resolved to adopt the ADC as their new political vehicle ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, deep divisions have emerged within the ADC ranks. A major faction of the party has condemned the move, warning that the ADC is “not a private coalition platform to be hijacked by political elites.”
In a statement, Musa Isa Matara, the faction’s national publicity secretary, described the merger as a unilateral decision executed without input from critical party structures.
“The decision to merge with the opposition coalition was taken without consulting key stakeholders, including state executives, youth and women leaders, and ward coordinators,” Matara said.
The group vowed to resist what it termed an “imposed political agenda” that disregards the party’s grassroots base and democratic processes.
The development signals a potential reshaping of Nigeria’s opposition landscape ahead of the 2027 presidential elections. Analysts say the move could consolidate opposition forces against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), though internal discord within the ADC may pose significant challenges.
Political watchers are closely monitoring whether the opposition coalition can maintain unity amid lingering intra-party disputes and personal political ambitions of key figures like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rotimi Amaechi.