The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has vowed to contest the 2027 general election under its own platform, despite the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) decision to discontinue recognising the party’s leadership over a court order.
Appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi expressed confidence that the opposition party will overcome all hurdles ahead.
“One thing I can guarantee is that we will contest the 2027 election on the ADC platform,” Abdullahi said.
“Regardless of what has happened in Nigeria, we still have confidence in the judiciary. We believe we have a slam-dunk case. If we are granted the accelerated hearing today and the court sits, we are confident that justice will be done. We have no doubt in our minds about that. While we are hoping for the best, we are also preparing for the worst.”
The spokesperson maintained that, since the party had given INEC the recommended 21-day notice for its congresses, it has nothing to fear, adding, “If the same INEC that swore in an affidavit that it was aware of the leadership change in the ADC is now turning around to say what they are saying, they are not going to stop us.”
He emphasised that the party will not simply give up, warning that surrendering would make them complicit in the erosion of Nigeria’s multiparty democracy.
One-Party State Concerns
Abdullahi accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu of seeking to make Nigeria a one-party state, vowing that the ADC will resist such a development.
“We in the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are saying that Nigeria will not become a one-party state in our generation. We will do everything within the law to resist it,” he said.
According to him, President Tinubu is aware of his unpopularity, and the ruling party’s internal polls have pushed it into panic mode.
“The APC has almost all the governors and lawmakers, but Nigerians do not want the party anymore,” he said.
Abdullahi further alleged that the ruling party is making efforts to destabilize opposition political parties because it wants a situation where Tinubu will be the only viable presidential contender in 2027.
“It is the same agenda. They want a situation whereby when we arrive in 2027, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will be the only viable contestant. This is the agenda.
“It is the reason they decapitated the PDP and made it an appendage of the ruling party now; it is the reason they destabilize the Labour Party; it is the reason they destroyed NNPP,” he said.
No Boycott
Asked if the ADC will join calls by some opposition parties to boycott the 2027 election, Abdullahi said the party will never do that.
“We are not going to boycott. Like I said, to boycott is to surrender. I mean, you boycott, you make headlines — then what?” he said.
He added that the ADC carries the hopes of millions of Nigerians who have endured hardships over the last three years and will not disappoint them by boycotting a process that could improve their lives.
Legal Backdrop
In September 2025, Gombe sued at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging the legality of the NWC led by David Mark and Aregbesola.
He claimed he should have assumed leadership after Nwosu resigned and alleged that Nwosu’s resignation letter was forged.
Last week, INEC removed the names of Mark and Aregbesola as chairman and secretary of the ADC from its portal, citing a court order to maintain the status quo.
Abdullahi insists that the process that brought the David Mark-led ADC to power is “clear” and “legal.”
The ADC, which was adopted as a coalition party in July 2025, is positioning itself to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
The party counts prominent political figures such as Atiku Abubakar, Rotimi Amaechi, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, and Rabiu Kwankwaso among its supporters.