Going by agitations from the opposition parties of the country to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the newly established platform for the coalition of opposition parties, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is intensifying efforts to take over the existing state structures of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The interim national chairman of the ADC and former Senate President, David Mark, and other leaders of the coalition, including former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, had shortly before the formal inauguration of the ADC, appealed to PDP members and members of other opposition parties to join forces with them to defeat the ruling APC in 2027. The meeting, chaired by former Senate President David Mark, was attended by a former National Chairman of the PDP, Uche Secondus, and several former governors, who had served on the platform of the PDP. They include Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi) and Gabriel Suswam (Benue).

While describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government as a ?national disaster? that must be shown the way out, the leaders further said ?all indices of development that support the comfort and quality of lives of the citizens have collapsed, and life is now hell in Nigeria.?

?The PDP which is organic with the discipline, capacity, and history to lead and save Nigeria, is now a shadow of itself. The heat wave unleashed by the APC federal government through threats, blackmail and patronage has forced elected officers in government to abandon the PDP.?

Saturday Sun?s investigations revealed that since the formal launch of the ADC over a week ago, the party has been receiving defectors from the PDP, especially in the north, while the Interim National Secretary and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has since embarked on what he called ?South-West mobilisation strategy meetings,? which he kicked off in Ondo State, on Thursday.

Among the states in the north where notable political figures have abandoned their parties for the ADC are: Borno, Gombe, and Jigawa states. Jigawa?s former governor, Sule Lamido, has vowed to remain in the PDP, but would mobilise and canvass support for the ADC.

Leading the pack of defectors from Borno are the PDP Borno Central Senatorial candidate in the 2023 election, Mohammed Kumalia; Deputy Governorship candidate, Saleh Kida; former PDP national treasurer, Ali Wurge; House of Representatives candidate in Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, Babakura Yusuf; PDP candidate for Bama, Ngala, Kala Balge federal constituency, Abdulrazaq Zanna; a former governorship aspirant, Idris Durkwa; and a youth mobiliser, Sheriff Banki, among others.

Although former Presidential Liaison Officer on National Assembly Matters to former President Olusegun Obasanjo and long-time ally of President Tinubu, Alhaji Kashim Imam, has been seen identifying with the coalition, he has yet to announce his formal resignation from the APC.

Explaining the rationale behind his defection, Banki said: ?Nigerians, especially at the grassroots level, were promised a Renewed Hope Agenda by President Tinubu. Unfortunately, two years into the APC-led administration, the reverse is the case. People can no longer sleep with both eyes closed, and they are grappling with economic hardship due to poor policies and programmes.?

Unlike in Borno, where PDP appears to be the major casualty, in Gombe, a former APC State Organising Secretary and youth mobiliser, Abdullahi Ataka, has joined the ADC. He said the decision was not one that was made lightly. ?It followed extensive consultations across political and civic platforms. We see, in the ADC, a fresh energy, a sense of direction, and an openness that is lacking in the current system. We?re not just coming with numbers; we?re coming with structure, strategy, and a clear sense of purpose.?

Speaking during an expanded caucus meeting, the ADC state chairman, Auwal Barde, described the coalition as ?a timely alliance driven by the need to offer Nigerians a credible alternative. This is not just a merger of political interests. It?s the beginning of a genuine movement to rescue Gombe State and Nigeria at large from political stagnation.

?We have officially opened our party registers in all 114 wards and across the 11 LGAs of the state to welcome new members who believe in change rooted in accountability and inclusiveness. We are calling on those who have been politically displaced or discouraged ? youth, professionals, and interest groups ? to come on board. ADC is a platform for real transformation,? Barde said.

Among those who attended the meeting was a former minister, Abdullahi Umar, who had defected from the PDP to APC in 2016, but returned to the PDP in 2022. He emphasised that the coalition was not just about defeating the APC, but about providing solutions to Nigeria?s growing challenges.

In Jigawa too, the ADC has dissolved its executive council and inaugurated a new state exco led by former Deputy Governor in the state, Ahmed Gumel. Gumel served as the deputy governor to Lamido from 2007 to 2015, but defected to the APC shortly before the 2015 general elections. He however returned to the PDP in January 2023, shortly before the last general elections. Saturday Sun can reveal that his movement to the ADC enjoys the blessings of Lamido.

In his inaugural speech at the ADC Jigawa headquarters in Dutse, Gumel said, the coalition aims to restructure Nigeria?s political landscape and provide an alternative to the APC-led government.

ADC woos supporters of aggrieved APC leaders, others

Leaders of the coalition, Saturday Sun gathered, are, apart from openly inviting members of the opposition, especially those of the PDP to join them, equally intensifying efforts to get more aggrieved members of the APC to ADC. Already, they are waiting to see if they could make some harvest from the impending crisis in the Kano APC, following the rumoured defection of the former Kano State Governor, Senator Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso to the APC.

Sources close to the leadership of the coalition told Saturday Sun that ?yes, it is true we don?t have any governor for now. But 24 hours is a long time in politics. Obi scored over six million votes without any governor. So, what are you talking about? Anyway, we are aware President Tinubu sacrificed Ganduje because of Kwankwaso and we know that the two cannot work together as things stand today. So, we hope to benefit from the crisis that will follow once Kwankwaso rejoins APC. We know him; he won?t want to be under Ganduje, and the Ganduje people too will not want to be under him. So, Kano is a potential ground for crisis within the APC and we hope to benefit from it.

?In Kaduna, we may not have much followership from Southern Kaduna, but Mallam (El-Rufai) enjoys tremendous followership in the north and central parts of Kaduna State. Besides, not everyone is at home with the governor, Uba Sani. So, we will harvest people from there as well. And they are like that all over.

?Look, there are several persons who are aggrieved but who are still waiting to see if they would get government patronage before they make the final move. We are in touch with that category as well. For now, the coalition is doing very well in the north. We only hope that the ruling party will continue to commit blunders that would benefit our movement in the long run,? the source added.

ADC?s initial members battle new entrants for party?s soul

While the interim leadership of the party is making efforts to woo more members to their side, there appears to be a battle between the old ADC members and the new entrants over the party?s soul. A faction within the party, led by its National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Musa Isa Matara, ADC spokesman, has openly condemned what he termed ?hostile takeover? of the ADC by the Mark-led leadership.

In a statement to that effect, the faction dismissed Aregbesola?s nomination, declaring that the ADC will not be auctioned to the highest bidder.

?We are not opposed to coalition. We are not opposed to reforms. But we are opposed to hijack, to imposition, and to speeches that sound revolutionary but hide elitist intentions beneath poetic language.

?If anyone is attempting to force an opposition merger without grassroots consent, they are trampling on democratic ethics and party sovereignty. 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. 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. The ADC is not for sale. It belongs to its members, not political merchants or elite dealmakers,? Dr. Matara added.

Further to the faction?s outburst, three members of the ADC have filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge the interim leadership of former Senate President David Mark and others. In the suit FHC/ABJ/CS/1328/2025 filed on July 4, Adeyemi Emmanuel, Ayodeji Victor Tolu and Haruna Ismaila, are asking the court to determine the legality of the interim leadership, averring that Ralph Nwosu as the former national chairman (who handed the party over) lacks the right to convene either a National Working Committee (NWC) or National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting or any other since his tenure as national chairman has expired. The plaintiffs also stated that the interim executives ?cannot and should not act? in a leadership capacity, noting that they were appointed by an illegal meeting organised by a former national chairman.

They are, therefore, asking the court to declare the appointment of Mark, Aregbesola, and Abdullahi as ?unconstitutional, unlawful, null, and void?. The plaintiffs also prayed the court for an order restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising the new executives.

As at the time of filing this story, reports indicate that the interim leadership of the ADC has equally assembled over 90 lawyers to defend it in court.

Why I won?t dump Tinubu for coalition ? Aregbesola?s associate

Meanwhile, a former commissioner in the Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola administration in Osun State, Bola Ilori, has cautioned South-West politicians not to do anything outward to truncate President Tinubu?s re-election bid.

He made the call while speaking in an exclusive interview with Saturday Sun following the newspapers? enquiry from him on why he was not at the meeting called by Aregbesola in Akure, on Thursday.

Ilori said: ?Regarding the alleged ADC meeting, I was not in attendance. My party did not convene such a special meeting, and I was not invited. My political allegiance, however, is not a matter for speculation. My loyalty to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is absolute. It has been a cornerstone of my public life for decades, a foundational relationship that began during my university days, when he served as my benefactor. My professional journey has been deeply intertwined with his support since my youth.

?Our collaboration began during the pivotal movement to oust the Shonekan-led interim government. As the acting Secretary General of the University of Lagos Students Union (ULSU), with Sowore as the president, we worked with the June 12 leadership ? of which Asiwaju was a key figure ? to demand Shonekan?s removal. Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi was a nexus of some of our major involvements, and we supported the transition based on General Abacha?s promise to restore Chief M.K.O. Abiola?s mandate.

?This early alliance solidified our bond long before his presidency. He later made me Local Government chairman, head of the KAI Brigade, and Senior Special Assistant (SSA). Given this profound history of support, would I abandon my benefactor for an unknown person on the ballot? ?No be juju be that.? Therefore, supporting any other candidate, like Atiku or Obi, is unthinkable. As an Omoluabi (virtuous person) the most honourable action is to stand firmly with President Tinubu; my support is a matter of principle,? he said.

Reminded that Aregbesola is his associate, Ilori said: ?I hold Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola in high esteem for his support for me over the years, but he is not on the ballot. President Tinubu is, and my duty as an Omoluabi is to support him, our collective (both Ogbeni and I) destiny helper. I appeal to the Yoruba leadership to facilitate a reconciliation between Asiwaju Tinubu and Ogbeni Aregbesola.

?This moment (Tinubu?s presidency) is also historically significant. As a true progressive, our first eleven holds the nation?s highest office. This is a critical opportunity for the Yoruba people that we must guard with unity to ensure he succeeds in making Nigeria great.

?In his two years in office, President Tinubu has been working earnestly to address national challenges, and I am confident he will stabilise the country as he did Lagos. It is imperative that Yoruba people worldwide, and all Nigerians, rally behind President Tinubu as true patriots.

?My advice to all politicians is to recognise the profound stakes of this moment. If we allow this presidency to fail, we risk creating a generation of young people who are eternally disillusioned with the democratic process itself. President Tinubu?s time in office is finite?he has at most one additional four-year term. We must, therefore, not jeopardise our entire democratic foundation over short-term disagreements,? he declared. (Saturday Sun)

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