INEC Delay Forces Coalition to Embrace ADC as Alternative Platform

The opposition coalition has finalized plans to formally embrace the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Wednesday as its platform for challenging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second term campaign in 2027.
It was claimed that after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) delayed the registration of the All Democratic Alliance (ADA), coalition leaders decided to embrace ADC.
Following the breakdown of negotiations with the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the ADC has emerged as the new political bride.

On March 20, the coalition was unveiled, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 Labour Party presidential contender Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai.
Speaking with Daily Trust on Monday, Dr. Umar Ardo, one of the coalition leaders, revealed that, while most leaders have adopted the ADC, the coalition has also decided to pursue the registration of ADA.

“The majority of the leaders have adopted ADC and will formally announce their position on Wednesday. But we’ve also decided that both activities (ADC adoption and new party registration) can take place concurrently,” Ardo remarked.

Read Also: Wike Seizes 7,000 Hectares from UniAbuja Over Alleged Illegal Land Grab

He stated that those in favor of registering a new party are convinced that INEC will follow the law.

“The coalition secretariat is committed to doing everything right to meet the legal and procedural requirements,” said Mr. Trump.

He stated that implementing the ADC while also advocating for ADA registration are complimentary rather than incompatible.

Ardo explained: “Registering a new party is a process, just like adopting an existing one. Both strategies include grassroots mobilisation and membership drives. They eventually come together to achieve the same goal.

Ardo mentioned two key reasons for supporting the formation of a new party. First, he raised concern about “external manipulations” if the alliance just merged into an established party.

“One of our primary worries is undue influence. Opponents of a new party are concerned that the government would meddle with INEC. However, fusing with an existing party makes us more vulnerable to manipulation because we must now compete with entrenched interests.

“Instead of facing the law in an open registration process, you participate in transactional politics with current party owners. The ADC, for example, has officials elected in December 2022 who refuse to step down until their terms end in December 2026, years after the primaries. “That’s a legal minefield that could lead to litigation, and a single court decision could change everything,” he stated.

His second issue was the possible exclusion of committed coalition members from the process. “You may end up with many people feeling left out,” he told me.

“If our only purpose is to depose Tinubu in 2027, we’re no different from the political forces who ousted Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. We must move beyond this. “The coalition should lead a renaissance to change how things are done in this country,” he stated.

Meanwhile, another senior coalition member revealed to Daily Trust that former Senate President David Mark has been named interim national chairman of the ADC, succeeding Okey Ralph Nwosu, the party’s founding leader and long-time chairman.

Mark will lead the party through a transition period and oversee the convention (scheduled for 2026) that will elect a substantial National Working Committee.

However, the position of interim national secretary remains unsettled following the rejection of the offer by former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

“It has been decided that David Mark will oversee the party’s reconstruction and the organisation of its national convention, which is expected to take place in 2026 and will pick a substantive chairman and other members of the National Working Committee. However, the secretary role remains unsettled. “The leaders have returned to find a more acceptable candidate,” the person stated.