As the countdown to the 2027 general elections draws closer, the Action Democratic Congress (ADC) has emerged as a rallying political platform for opponents of the Tinubu administration to challenge his second term ambition and to halt the ascendancy of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ADC has attracted politicians like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, former Senate President David Mark and a host of other leading political figures with different political backgrounds into its fold. The singular objective being to stop Tinubu in 2027 and ultimately, bring an end to the 12-year reign of the APC.
This isn’t the first experiment of the ADC presenting itself as an alternative and viable vehicle to political actors to try and unseat a sitting president. In 2005, when the party was conceived, it was named the Alliance for Democratic Change, but later renamed the African Democratic Congress after gaining approval and registration from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
In the 2007 general elections, the ADC’s presidential flag bearer was Patrick Utomi. He obtained 50,849 votes, and was placed 4th in the election. In 2011, the party fielded Rev. Peter Nwangwu. He scored 51,682 votes and was placed 8th out of the 20 candidates in the presidential election. Also, in the 2015 presidential poll, the ADC had Mani Ahmad as its presidential candidate. He obtained 29,666 votes which was 0.10% of the votes cast and was placed 7th out of 14 candidates.
However, it wasn’t until former President Olusegun Obasanjo and his political movement, the Coalition for Nigeria Movement (CNM) adopted the ADC as a coalition party on May 10, 2018, ahead of the 2019 presidential election to challenge late President Muhammadu Buhari that the party entered the consciousness of Nigerians. Obasanjo at that time, said the goal of the CNM in adopting the ADC was “to work with others for bringing about desirable change in the Nigeria polity and governance”.
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The fusion of the ADC and the Obasanjo-led movement lasted for just three months. In August 2018, a faction of the CNM pulled out of the ADC and announced itself as the New African Democratic Congress (N-ADC) with Precious Elekima, announcing himself as the protem national chairman.
Elekima said the group withdrew from the ADC because it did not want to be a party in the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP). Undeterred by the split in the new coalition, the ADC in the 2019 presidential election had Obadiah Mailafia as its candidate. He obtained 97,874 votes, placing 4th out of 73 candidates in that election.
For the 2023 general elections, Obasanjo endorsed the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, as his preferred candidate. In a New Year message, the ex- president described Obi as his mentee and said the former Anambra State governor had an edge in the elections.
He said: “None of the contestants is a saint but when one compares their character, antecedent, their understanding, knowledge, discipline, and vitality that they can bring to bear and the great efforts required to stay focused on the job, particularly looking at where the country is today and with the experience on the job that I personally had, Peter Obi as a mentee has an edge.”
Once again, the ADC is in the spotlight with opposition politicians adopting the party as the coalition platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
Former Senate President David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, former minister of interior, were appointed the party’s interim national chairman and secretary, respectively. Another former minister, Bolaji Abdullahi, was named as the protem national publicity secretary of the ADC.
Other notable political heavyweights that have pitched camp with the ADC are former House of Representatives Speaker, Aminu Tambuwal, Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation, Solomon Dalung, ex-minister of sports; and Odigie Oyegun, the former national chairman of the APC. Also in the mix, are Abubakar Malami, former attorney-general of the federation and minister of justice; Dino Melaye; Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine, Sen Eyinnanya Abaribe; Sen. Gabriel Suswan; Sen. Ireti Kingibe; Elisha Abbo; Uche Secondus; Tunde Ogbeha; Sen. Victor Umeh; Laureata Onochie; and Liyel Imoke; Bolaji Abdullahi, among others.
Without doubt, the strength of the ADC in Nigeria’s political landscape is growing stronger every day. If the party is fortunate to again enjoy the endorsement of leaders like Obasanjo, then such a connection could potentially bring significant benefits to the party, including access to resources, networks, and grassroots support.
Moreover, the ADC’s untainted status, having not been part of the APC, could appeal to voters, especially younger voters looking for an alternative to the traditional parties. While the current existing parties because of their antecedents and lingering internal wranglings may offer little hope to the presidential ambitions of the likes of Obi, Atiku and others, the ADC could offer a viable alternative.
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