A major crisis is brewing in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following the emergence of a new faction within the party that has publicly rejected a coalition arrangement involving top opposition leaders, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President David Mark.
In a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday, Musa Isa Matara, the national publicity secretary of the faction, condemned the move by some politicians to adopt the ADC as the official platform for an opposition coalition.
Matara accused those behind the arrangement of attempting to hijack the party without consulting its critical stakeholders.
“The ADC is not a ‘private coalition platform’ to be hijacked by political elites,” the statement declared.
He stated that the reported decision to merge with an opposition alliance was made unilaterally and without input from state executives, ward coordinators, youth leaders, or the women’s wing of the party.
“We warn those coming into the ADC as part of this imposed arrangement to tread carefully. Be mindful that some few individuals are attempting to sell out the soul of our party for personal gain,” Matara warned.
“The ADC is not for sale. It belongs to its members, not political merchants or elite dealmakers.”
The protest comes in response to a meeting held on Tuesday in Abuja, where several high-profile opposition politicians and some ADC members reportedly agreed to transform the party into a coalition vehicle for the 2027 general elections.
Among those said to be in attendance were Atiku Abubakar, David Mark, former governors Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), and ex-PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus.
At the end of the meeting, the coalition reportedly adopted ADC as its platform and named David Mark as interim national chairman, with former Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola as interim secretary.
Also appointed was former sports minister Bolaji Abdullahi, who was introduced as the coalition’s spokesperson.
However, Matara swiftly dismissed the legitimacy of those appointments and insisted the party was unaware of such plans.
“The party leadership had no prior knowledge of these developments and we reject what we call an imposed arrangement,” he said.
While affirming the ADC’s openness to alliances and partnerships, he emphasized that it must not come at the expense of internal democracy and party sovereignty.
“The appointments announced at the meeting carry no weight, as they were not ratified by the party’s National Executive Committee or a national convention,” Matara stated.
“The claim that the ADC has become the ‘platform of the National Opposition Coalition Group’ is misleading,” the statement continued.
“Our millions of members have not been informed or carried along in this so-called coalition.”
He also raised concerns about ongoing legal disputes stemming from the 2023 general elections, warning that these unresolved matters pose a serious risk to any coalition agreement.
“If anyone is attempting to force an opposition merger without grassroots consent, they are trampling on democratic ethics and party sovereignty,” Matara added.
“Let it be known to those who are trooping into our party under this chaotic coalition arrangement that the ADC has been battling unresolved legal crises since the 2023 general elections. These matters remain in court and unresolved. Any coalition attempt built on such shaky legal ground is irresponsible and potentially self-destructive.”
