The African Democratic Congress has said it does not need a coalition with other opposition parties to defeat the All Progressives Congress and President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today. Abdullahi said the ADC initially supported a broad opposition coalition. The party believed that a united opposition would have a stronger chance against the APC and Tinubu.
However, he said the ADC later changed its position. This followed the departure of Peter Obi and Rabi’u Kwankwaso to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
ADC changes position on opposition coalition
According to Abdullahi, the ADC remains open to discussions with other opposition parties. He said the focus is now on areas where the parties can work together. The discussions are not mainly about producing a single presidential candidate for the 2027 election. Instead, the parties can cooperate on issues linked to the election.
Abdullahi identified election monitoring as one key area for cooperation. He also mentioned the protection of votes cast for opposition candidates. He explained that opposition parties could coordinate their efforts without merging their political structures. They could also work together without presenting a common presidential candidate.
ADC backs cooperation ahead of 2027
The ADC spokesman said the G-100 movement was still working to bring opposition groups together. However, he noted that the focus of the discussions had shifted towards practical areas of cooperation. These include election monitoring and the protection of votes.
According to Abdullahi, opposition parties can maintain their separate structures while working together on issues affecting the electoral process. He said such cooperation could help the parties monitor the 2027 election more effectively. It could also strengthen efforts to protect votes cast by their supporters.
ADC confident of defeating APC
Despite the changes within the opposition camp, Abdullahi maintained that the ADC was well positioned to contest the 2027 election on its own. He said the party was confident in its ability to challenge the APC and pursue victory at the polls.
The ADC, however, will continue to engage with other opposition parties where there is room for cooperation. Abdullahi said such cooperation could focus on election monitoring, vote protection and other measures aimed at ensuring that votes are properly counted.
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