The National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has disclosed that opposition leaders are still exploring the possibility of presenting a single presidential candidate to face President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 election.
Speaking during an interview with Arise News on Wednesday, he acknowledged that the exit of Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso from the ADC is a setback not just for the party, but for the entire opposition.
According to him, it’s always better to have a united opposition against the incumbent.
“It is not a setback for the ADC in particular, but a setback for the opposition coalition… once you have a three or four-horse race against the incumbent, it’s always an advantage to the incumbent,” Abdullahi noted, adding that the development was not a fatal blow to ongoing coalition efforts.
He, however, said that despite the development, the broad opposition coalition is still very much alive and focused on removing Tinubu and the APC at the polls.
“The vision of building a big coalition of opposition political parties is still a possibility… because we are convinced that a unified opposition stands a better chance of challenging for power,” he said.
According to him, discussions were ongoing among opposition stakeholders to produce a single presidential candidate capable of taking on the ruling party.
“Our hope… is that we will all still be able to find a way to work together… conversation is still possible in that direction,” he said.
Atiku Spoke For Himself
On the controversial issue of zoning presidential tickets, Abdullahi said the primary goal of the ADC is to win elections, and the party would adopt a strategic approach.
He, however, added that the recent statement by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on zoning is a personal opinion, and not the position of the ADC on the matter.
“We are going to assess the field… and look at what gives us strategic advantage… the purpose of a political party is to win elections,” he said.
I Can’t Speak For Him
On the exit of Peter Obi from the ADC, Abdullahi said he doesn’t hold forth for the former Governor of Anambra State, but the party had no prior indication of dissatisfaction.
“I cannot speak for him… there had not been any conversation around any grievances,” he said.
Security
The ADC chieftain also cautioned the administration of President Tinubu to desist from creating confusion with the recent appointment of an aide on homeland security to work alongside existing structures such as the National Security Adviser and Chief of Defence Staff.
He warned that such a development is misaligned with Nigeria’s internal security realities and may complicate security coordination rather than improve it.
“You are likely to add more to the chaos rather than making coordination easier,” he said.