Politics

2027: ADC Won’t Handover Structures To Atiku, Obi, Amaechi, Others – Lukman

Published

10 months ago

July 8, 2025

One of the foremost promoters of the anti-Tinubu coalition in the African Democratic Congress ADC, Salihu Moh. Lukman has declared that the party will not hand over its structures to any of its leading lights who might be seeking the party’s ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

While a former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared his interest in flying the party’s flags, former vice president Atiku Abubakar and the 2023 Labour Party LP Presidential candidate, Mr Peter Obi are speculated to also have an interest in securing the ticket.

Lukman who was a guest on Jigsaw, a programme on the African Independent Television AIT monitored Tuesday in Abuja, said the plan is to build the structures of the ADC in such a way that the party is strong enough and can regulate the conduct of everybody, not just aspiring candidates, but even elected representatives when they win elections and assume positions.

He said the coalition did not go into the ADC arrangement with its eyes closed or desperate to have a political party. “We took our time. We did not negotiate with just one individual, we negotiated with the whole leadership”.

“What we are telling everybody in the coalition is that the structures of the party will not be handed over to aspiring candidates.

“We have to build the structures of the party in such a way that the party is strong enough and can regulate the conduct of everybody, not just aspiring candidates, but even elected representatives when they win office and assume positions”, he stated.

On how the coalition scaled all the legal hurdles before unveiling ADC as its political platform, Lukman said; “I can tell you that we opened negotiations with a wide range of parties and we went through processes including conducting legal due diligence on the status of both the leadership and if there were any pending litigations. In the process, we were also able to check with INEC and get all the substantive issues.

“I can tell you, some of the issues being raised in the public about some of the litigations, there are issues which, even by INEC records, if you go there, you will find out that they have been resolved long ago.

“At a point, we even had to sit down with all the members, in fact more than once, all the members of the National Working Committee of ADC”.

The former National Vice Chairman, Northwest, of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC also disclosed that the ADC 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu was no longer a member of the party.

He said; “I want to make it very clear and if you check with INEC, you will find out that even the Dumebi Kachikwu, who came out to make noise, by the records of INEC, based on the Certified True Copies of proceedings of organs, legitimate organs of the ADC, Dumebi Kachikwu and some others, I think about 15 of them, had been expelled from the party. I can’t remember exactly when. So, we didn’t go into this blindly.

“We were very clear that we were on very safe ground, and proceeding further, we are not supplanting the leadership of ADC. We have accepted to work with them as partners, they are stakeholders and I am sure in not too distant time from now, the interim leadership of the party led by Senator David Mark and Aregbesola will release possible guidelines to guide the position at the state level and how the whole reorganization of the structures of the party will proceed.

“So, I want to make it very clear, we are not approaching this activity based on the conventional process of just going to hijack a structure and begin to organize it in such a way we produce candidates and this led me to the critical point and I think we have to continue to talk to ourselves as members of the coalition we came this far largely because we have appealed to all our leaders to please suspend expression of their ambitions until we are able to build structures.

“We have succeeded so far, which is why we are able to have the unity you have seen and I think that suspension of expression of ambitions has to continue. I can see some leaders have already become hyper-reactive.

“The coalition and 2027 are not all about producing candidates who will end up producing another disappointment, which is basically about producing unaccountable leaders and if care is not taken, also producing another set of emperors as elected representatives who will not listen to the party just the same way we have a situation where leaders of APC today don’t do not even respect the party”, he said.

Lukman also revealed that there is no difference between the All Democratic Alliance ADA and ADC, adding that both the ADC and ADA were decisions of the coalition.

“A special committee was set up by the coalition and it was based on the determination that we are not going to leave anything unturned to ensure that by 2027, we present an option to Nigerians. We are not going to allow a situation where the country is set up for a one-party state.

“So we spread our tentacles and ensured that we went ahead and mandate the committee to put up the application.

“All we can say is that whatever happens, Nigerians will have an option. Our right as Nigerians as provided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria to participate in elections will be exercised beyond the confines of the APC. We are not going to allow a situation where the country is set up for a one-party state”, he said.

Politics

JUST IN: Why I left ADC For NDC With Kwankwaso – Peter Obi Opens Up

Published

19 hours ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

A former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has given reasons why he resigned from the African Democratic Congress, ADC, to join the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, alongside a former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In a long post on X on Monday, Obi insisted it was not out of anger or ambition.

Rather, he said the move is a continuation of the quest to build a new Nigeria.

Obi wrote: “Yesterday, I formally joined the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), alongside my dear brother, Engr. Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, with one clear purpose: to continue the struggle for a new Nigeria built on justice, competence, accountability, and compassion for the ordinary Nigerian.

“As I stated yesterday, this decision was not made out of anger, personal ambition, or convenience. It came after deep reflection on the present condition of our nation and the urgent need to rescue Nigeria from the dangerous path it is currently heading.

“Over the years, I have remained steadfast in my conviction that politics should never be about individuals, positions, or personal gain. It must be about the people, especially the millions of Nigerians who today can no longer afford necessities, whose businesses are collapsing, whose children are losing hope, and whose future is becoming increasingly uncertain.

“I left the ADC for the same reason I left the Labour Party: the severe, orchestrated litigation and internal crises deliberately designed to ensure that I, alongside many other notable individuals, do not effectively participate in the electoral process. I sincerely appreciate and remain deeply grateful to the Leadership of ADC for the opportunity to work together in pursuit of a better Nigeria. I am particularly grateful to ADC Chairman Senator David Mark for his exceptional Leadership. I also deeply appreciate my Leader and elder brother YE, Atiku Abubakar, as well as other respected leaders within the party.

“As we join the NDC, I sincerely appeal to the Nigerian Government against the encouragement of unresolved litigations and the infusion of crises within political parties. Democracy must never become a weapon against the people. A healthy democracy thrives on strong institutions, credible alternatives, and the freedom of citizens to make choices without intimidation, manipulation, or fear. Opposition parties must not be weakened or destroyed, because when democracy loses balance, the people ultimately suffer.

“Nigeria today is passing through one of the most difficult periods in its history. Poverty is rising. Hunger is widespread. Insecurity continues to threaten lives and livelihoods. Businesses are shutting down daily. Our young people are becoming discouraged, and many citizens have lost faith in the system. At a time like this, leadership must be driven not by propaganda or division, but by competence, capacity, character, and compassion.

“Our decision to join the NDC is therefore not an abandonment of values, but a continuation of the same mission we have always stood for: building a Nigeria where leadership is about service, where public resources are managed responsibly, where institutions function independently, and where every Nigerian, regardless of tribe, religion, region, or social status, can live with dignity, security, and hope.

“I remain committed to working with all Nigerians of goodwill across political, ethnic, and religious lines. The task before us is bigger than any individual or political party. It is about the future of our children and the survival of our dear nation.

“I thank Nigerians, especially our youths and women, for remaining peaceful, resilient, and hopeful despite the enormous challenges confronting the country. I urge you not to lose faith in Nigeria. Nations do not change because people surrender to hopelessness; they change because people continue to believe, continue to sacrifice, and continue to stand for what is right.”

Politics

Peter Obi, Kwankwaso Formally Join NDC, Warn Members Against Litigation

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2026

Editor

Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned party members to steer clear of any form of litigation that can plunge the party into chaos ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday after he was formally joined the party alongside the former governor of Kano State,

Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso , the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party(LP), urged members to embrace dialogue in the interest of the party

“Please let there be no litigation. Party members, please don’t go to court. We want to build a party, we are not lawyers,” he pleaded.

The two political figures were received into the opposition party on Sunday at its national secretariat in Abuja.

Earlier, Obi had announced his exit from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), while Kwankwaso had indicated he was engaged in “wide-ranging consultations” with the NDC.

The National Chairman of the party, Cleopas Moses Zuwoghe, presented membership cards to both leaders at the event.

Speaking afterwards, Kwankwaso said their engagement with NDC stakeholders was driven by a shared vision and ideological alignment.

“We came to discuss with stakeholders of the party and found that our ideologies and beliefs are largely the same,” he said.

He urged Nigerians to register with the NDC ahead of the deadline for party membership registration, stressing the need for broader participation in the political process.

Politics

Edo South Senatorial Seat: Nothing Wrong Seeking Wike’s Support – Ogbeide-Ihama

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2026

Editor

Edo South All Progressives Congress’ senatorial aspirant, Omeregie Ogbeide-Ihama, on Saturday said that there is nothing wrong seeking the Federal Capital Territory Minister, nyesom Wike’s support for his political ambition.

The former House of Representatives member was reacting to insinuation in some quarters that he had gone to meet the FCT Minister for help in order to get the party’s ticket.

Ogbeide-Ihama, who spoke when he visited the leadership of the Edo South Senatorial District to declare his intention to contest the senatorial seat, said if such insinuations of meeting Wike for support was true, there is nothing bad so far meeting Wike can guarantee him the ticket.

Ogbeide-Ihama appealed to the senatorial leaders of the party to give the ticket to the most qualified aspirants, stressing that “it is not a game of try your luck or gamble.”

According to him, among the aspirants, he is the most qualified having gone to the House of Representatives twice.

He stressed that he feels most qualified and experienced to be saddled with the responsibility and not someone who wants to learn on the job.

Ogbeide-Ihama, while stating his ordeals when contesting on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said his billboards were pulled down several times yet he won the election.

He added that now that he has joined the APC, the election should be easy sailing because he is now one of them.

He further appealed to the leadership of the party that they should know that times are changing and the world is gravitating towards the youth, adding that as a youth, he should be sent to represent the senatorial district because he still has the strength and energy to champion the cause of the seven local government areas that make up the Edo South Senatorial district.

Earlier, the Edo South Senatorial district leader and former deputy governor of the state, Pius Odubu, said that the election should be seen as that of a family affair.

He appealed to Ogbeide-Ihama to go about his campaign in a peaceful manner