African Democratic Congress, yesterday, ADC, yesterday, addressed the delay in the full membership of the 2023 presidential candidate of Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi and former Kaduna State governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai in the party.
This came as former Director-General of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Governors’ Forum, Mr CID Maduabum, resigned from the PDP and joined the ADC.
Also, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Delta State, Chief Ayiri Emami, has dismissed concerns that former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, would ditch the APC for the ADC, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
This is even as members of Obedient Movement weekend, warned ADC against selling its presidential ticket to the highest bidder.
Meanwhile, former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, VoN, Mr Osita Okechukwu, yesterday, declared that no leader of the ADC could inherit late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s 12 million votes.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja over the weekend, the ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, explained that both Obi and el-Rufai were allowed to complete certain electoral processes within their former political parties.
He said: “They were given the opportunity to finalise pending elections, including by-elections and the selection of governorship candidates, within their legacy parties.”
He reassured the public that both Obi and El-Rufai remained committed to the ADC coalition and would formally join the party after completing those processes.
Addressing concerns about the party’s internal democracy, Abdullahi said: “We have no hidden agenda or preferred candidate. Everyone will have a fair chance in the race for the party’s ticket.”
On legal matters, the interim spokesperson dismissed claims that the ADC was facing major legal issues.
“We are confident in the legality of every step we have taken. We made sure we closed all loopholes the ruling party might try to use against us,” he added.
He also kicked against the recent restriction order issued against Mr Obi by Edo State governor, Monday Okpebholo, describing it as undemocratic and a sign of growing authoritarianism among APC governors.
He pointed to a statement by the governor declaring Peter Obi unwelcome in his state, as an example of this disturbing development.
“Nigeria is a free country, and every citizen has the right to travel freely across the nation. We don’t need visas to move within our own country.
“Since they failed to turn Nigeria into a one-party state, their new strategy is to issue threats, warning us not to visit their states. This is unacceptable and goes against the principles of democracy,” Abdullahi said.
Ex-PDP Govs’ Forum DG joins ADC
In a related development, former Director-General of the PDP Governors’ Forum, C.I.D Maduabum, has resigned from the PDP and joined the ADC.
Maduabum in a statement yesterday, blamed what he called the party’s “moral decay” and internal breakdown for his decision to leave.
He said: “The PDP today is a shadow of what it used to be. It has collapsed into confusion, betrayal, and destruction by people who care nothing about the values on which it was built.
“I can no longer stay in a house that has lost its moral direction and is now controlled by opportunists. “The ADC offers a platform for meaningful change, leadership that puts people first, and a fresh start to rebuild Nigeria from the ground up.”
Maduabum explained that his decision to join the ADC was not just a change of party, but also a move towards real political reform.
“I have joined the ADC as a reformer, committed to building a political culture based on merit, values, discipline, youth inclusion, and national unity.
“The time has come for all well-meaning citizens to take a firm stand against the rot in our political system. “I remain committed to justice, fairness, and service to the people. The fight to rescue Nigeria and restore its promise has started, and this time, on a stronger foundation,’’ he said.
Obidients warn party against selling presidential ticket to highest bidder
Also, members of Obidient Movement in Ebonyi State weekend warned the ADC, coalition not to sell its presidential ticket to the highest bidder in 2027 election.
The movement reiterated that the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, remained the most qualified to lead Nigeria out of its current challenges.
It made a declaration during an event in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, to mark Obi’s 64th birthday anniversary, saying the presidential primary election should be free and fair for every aspirant seeking the presidency.
The event, which wrapped up a week-long series of activities, featured donations to vulnerable groups, including visits to a motherless babies’ home, a leprosy centre, and the distribution of free Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), to 100 motorcyclists in Ebonyi State.
Speaking to newsmen, a member of the National Advisory Committee of Obidient Movement, Dr. Ezeh Emmanuel Ezeh, described Obi as “an institution of hope”.
He said Obi as former Anambra State governor embodied the character, competence, capacity and compassion the country desperately needed in its current economic and political state.
“Within the week, we visited vulnerable places, hospitals, leprosy homes, and mother-and-baby shelters across the state. It is important to note that what is happening here in Ebonyi is also happening across the country and in the diaspora, wherever Nigerians are.
“We believe that Peter Obi, who is an institution of hope, represents the hope of the common man. Despite how bad things are, from corruption and economic mismanagement to leadership failure, we believe that a Peter Obi presidency is what Nigeria needs at this time,’’ Ezeh said.
In his remarks, the 2023 governorship candidate of Labour Party in the state, Mr. Splendour Oko Eze, cautioned leaders of the coalition party against turning the presidential race into a contest for the highest bidder.
He said: “Nobody is more qualified than Peter Obi. For those suggesting he should settle for vice president, how can a man who pulled this kind of votes? Who transformed a party with no structure into one that produced senators, House of Reps members, and even a governor, but was pushed aside?
“I want to warn the coalition parties: do not impose any candidate on the people. The coalition should be a platform for liberating poor Nigerians, not for selling tickets to the highest bidder. The most qualified person is Peter Obi.”
Omo-Agege has no plan to leave APC for ADC, but…, Ayiri Emami
Meanwhile, an APC stalwart, Chief Ayiri Emami, who spoke in the wake of recent defections into the APC, particularly in Delta State, said the former Deputy Senate President had no intention of dumping the APC.
Emami said: “People like Omo-Agege, I know, I can speak categorically about him, he doesn’t have a plan to leave. But one thing I know some of us will not accept is a situation where you come in and say you want to push us out. We will not allow it. That might cause another chaos. Nobody will leave.
“I don’t believe anybody can push me out. If I decide to step aside, that is a different issue.
“I am always very reasonable. If I meet somebody, somewhere, I will try as much as possible to see how we can work together, but a situation where you will come and say no and you want to lord it over us, I don’t think Asiwaju believes in that kind of politics because he is a politician, he knows what that means.
“People like me were almost killed because of APC in our community, even up to the issues we had in our palace, it was all political. I was accused of using the palace to do APC and today, everybody is there, and I am happy.
“I know a lot of people who were killed back then because they associated with APC. The APC chairman in Delta State is supposed to unite everybody. So those are the people causing confusion in that state.
“These were people that Ovie singlehandedly put together to ensure that they build up a party. As at then, some of us were telling him that what you are doing, don’t do it with your tribal people.
‘’I was against Ovie then because I said you cannot be running for governor, at the same time you have a party chairman from your place. Normally, if you are having a governor from the Central, the chairmanship comes to the South, the deputy governor goes to the North. So I was opposed to it, but the powers that be then did not see where I was coming from.”
No ADC leader can inherit Buhari’s 12m bloc votes — Okechukwu
mEqually speaking on ADC weekend, former D-G of VoN, Mr Osita Okechukwu, declared that no ADC leader could inherit late Buhari’s 12 million vote-bank.
Speaking after an interdenominational church service in honour of Buhari, Mr Okechukwu said: “With the greatest respect to prominent politicians who expectedly want to inherit late President Buhari’s much celebrated 12 million vote-bank, one wishes to submit that the Buhari’s shoe is too big and his uncommon humanity, integrity, transparency quotient and moral compass are antithetical and herculean task to their aspirations.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Sunday declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been taken back by loyal members, blasting defectors, asserting control of the party, and taking a swipe at opposition figures ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The remarks, delivered at the PDP’s 10th Elective National Convention in Abuja, captured what party leaders are pitching as a turning point, an attempt to move past months of internal crisis, reassert control, and reset the party for 2027, even as rival camps and opposition forces continue to circle.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State and a key power broker within the PDP, used the convention to frame the moment as both a victory over internal turmoil and a reset of leadership within the party.
“Today marks the rebirth of our party in a new form. Today is the birth of a united party, ready to move forward,” he said.
The convention, which was monitored by the electoral umpire, was cited by Wike as proof that the party had regained institutional footing after a prolonged dispute over its leadership.
“We have seen the convention monitored by the electoral umpire… which also tells you the importance of this gathering,” he said, commending those who organised the exercise.
Wike then shifted to a more pointed message, drawing a clear line between members who stayed through the crisis and those who left.
“Leadership is not easy. It requires courage, firmness and commitment. What we have seen, some governors leaving, only shows a lack of leadership. When crises arise, true leaders stand and resolve them; they do not run away,” he said.
He praised party members, especially at the grassroots, for staying loyal despite the uncertainty that surrounded the PDP in recent months.
“When push came to shove, you refused to be discouraged. When some who claimed to be leaders threatened and intimidated you, you endured. Through your perseverance and faith, you have brought us to this moment, and here we are, victorious,” Wike said.
At the heart of his message was the claim that the party had been restored to its base.
“More importantly, we have reclaimed and returned the party to its rightful owners, the people,” he declared.
Even so, Wike left the door open for those who left the party, urging them to return, but on the basis of unity and discipline.
“Our brothers and sisters who may have left should return and join us in rebuilding this party for the collective good. No one will be excluded; everyone will have an opportunity to serve in unity and in law,” he said.
Then, widening the target beyond his party, Wike turned his fire on the opposition, including Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate.
“What you have seen happening, the actions of a faction of some governors who have walked away, only shows that they lack a sense of leadership.
“I liken them to the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party. That candidate was given a platform by the Labour Party to pursue the presidency, yet when a crisis arose within the party, it was precisely the moment leadership was required. Instead of stepping forward to resolve the problems, he could not, and failed to provide that leadership.
“In the same way, when our governors were seeking a platform to become governors, they found one and achieved their ambition. But when crises emerged, and it was time to demonstrate leadership, vision, and courage, they ran away. That tells you who can truly stand firm in difficult times.
“It is like a family: when you have a wife, or wives, and there are problems in your household, you do not abandon your family. You remain there and work to resolve the issues. That is why I thank all of you for your commitment. You have shown leadership, real leadership.
“Let no one assume that the achievements of the President will shield anyone. This is a period of accountability. You must demonstrate your responsibility and commitment, because when crises arise, some people flee. They seek positions, even aspire to lead the country, yet when faced with challenges, they withdraw,” the FCT MInister said.
Wike also looked ahead to the 2027 elections, expressing confidence that the PDP would remain a major contender.
“By the grace of God, the PDP will be there by March 2027,” he said.
He called on members to recommit to the party and strengthen internal structures to better reflect public expectations.
“As we move forward, we must create legitimate channels through which the voices of the people will be heard and respected.
“So we must be careful about such sub-national actors. As I have said here, whether you are from Taraba, Bayelsa, or anywhere else, return our mandate. Return our mandate, that is the message I have for you,” Wike said.
The National Leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, Rabiu Kwankwaso, will on Monday (tomorrow) join the African Democratic Congress, our correspondent can authoritatively report.
Credible sources in the ADC and NNPP confided in our correspondent that Kwankwaso would make a formal declaration for his new party in Kano.
According to a principal official of the ADC who spoke with our correspondent on condition of anonymity on Saturday, the National Chairman and Secretary of the party, David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, respectively, will welcome the former Kano State governor into the party.
Our correspondent gathered that Kwankwaso was likely to join the ADC alongside the immediate past Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Gwarzo.
Gwarzo resigned from his position on Friday, as confirmed by his media aide, Ibrahim Shuaibu.
The ADC had been courting Kwankwaso for more than three months, with the former governor reportedly demanding the vice-presidential slot of the party to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Kwankwaso had eyed a joint ticket with the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi.
Both Obi and Kwankwaso’s camps had confirmed the move, with former President Olusegun Obasanjo said to be the brains behind the alliance.
The ADC had also intensified its discussions with Kwankwaso following the defection of his political son and the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, from the NNPP to the All Progressives Congress.
Yusuf joined the APC on January 26 with members of the state House of Assembly and his cabinet.
Findings revealed that Kwankwaso finally concluded plans to join the ADC on Thursday after a meeting with Aregbesola at his residence in Abuja.
Reliable insiders disclosed to our correspondent that Kwankwaso had earlier agreed to join the ADC and picked last Tuesday, March 24, for his declaration until he made a U-turn, insisting that he would not join the party until he was promised the vice-presidential slot.
“We have been talking to Kwankwaso, and he has agreed to join the ADC. He was supposed to declare for the party last Tuesday in Kano in the presence of our national officials. But he made a sudden U-turn, insisting that we must promise him the vice-presidential slot; failing that, he would no longer join the party.
“The National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, said he was not in a position to make that kind of commitment; that was how Kwankwaso refused to make the declaration,” an official of the party disclosed to our correspondent .
After the rejection, Aregbesola held a private meeting with Kwankwaso on Thursday, the aftermath of which was the NNPP leader’s readiness to join the ADC.
Apart from Aregbesola, Kano State officials of the ADC also held a meeting with Kwankwaso, but it was not clear whether their meeting preceded that of the former interior minister.
A picture of the former Kano State governor and Aregbesola taken after the meeting was shared on social media by Kwankwaso’s media aide, Saifullahi Hassan.
Planned Monday defection
Providing an update on the meeting, the credible ADC official said Kwankwaso had agreed to join the party and would make a declaration in Kano on Monday.
“He (Kwankwaso) has agreed to join without preconditions,” the ADC chieftain said in a terse message to our correspondent on Friday.
This is as a leader of the NNPP, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed that Kwankwaso would depart Abuja for Kano on Sunday (today) in preparation for the ADC declaration.
The NNPP official said, “The leader (Kwankwaso) will be in Kano on Sunday and some NNPP officials have been informed about his decision to join the ADC. I think the declaration will be done on Monday.”
Another national leader of the NNPP confirmed Kwankwaso’s declaration move.
He said, “It is true. We’re going to join ADC on Monday. We will be in Kano. You can expect a large number of people at the declaration. Kwankwaso owns Kano, and he will demonstrate his strength on Monday.”
However, the spokesperson for the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, said he was not available to comment on the matter when contacted on Saturday.
He said, “I will call you back; I may not be able to respond to your enquiry right now.”
Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the NNPP, Ladipo Johnson, said he was not aware of the planned declaration.
“I am not aware; I have not been available for a while,” he said.
Calls and messages sent to Hassan for official confirmation of Kwankwaso’s defection were not answered.
The development came a week after Obi, Makinde, and former Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson, met Kwankwaso at his residence on Miller Road in Kano on Sunday, March 22.
Kwankwaso described the gathering as a moment of unity and joyous celebration.
ADC extends alliance to NDC
Meanwhile, sources in the ADC told our correspondent that the party had also extended its alliance move to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, with ongoing discussions with Dickson and other leaders of the party.
An insider said some leaders of the Tanimu Turaki-led PDP faction would join the ADC “very soon,” a move he described as a strategy to revitalise the party as a formidable opposition platform.
Another ADC leader, who also spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday, said, “We have established that Makinde and Dickson are not working for President Bola Tinubu. Some other PDP leaders with Makinde will also move to the NDC. That will make the party a strong opposition platform, and they will use it to negotiate with the ADC as a bloc instead of as individuals.
“As a matter of fact, that is the reason Bala (Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed) is hesitating in his defection to the APC. He is with them (Kwankwaso, Makinde and Dickson). All of them are key politicians, and they are our allies.
“Our collective objective is to bring an end to Tinubu’s administration, which has pushed millions of Nigerians below the poverty line with its bad policies. Whatever it takes, we must work together and accommodate one another’s interests.”
He’s no threat to Tinubu – APC
Reacting to the planned move, the APC downplayed Kwankwaso’s defection to the ADC, saying he does not pose a threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election.
The National Secretary of the party, Ajibola Basiru, told our correspondent that the former governor lacked the political structure to challenge Tinubu.
He said, “Kwankwaso is free to move to any party he wants. That is the beauty of democracy. But he is not a threat to us, nor to President Tinubu’s second term. How can he be a threat? How many governors does he have? How many members of the Houses of Assembly? Let him go. Democracy is about contest; he is free to go anywhere. Even in the 2023 election, when he contested, he won in only one state. For us, we are focused on our own development. We are not concerned about whether anybody decamps or doesn’t want to decamp.”
The rival factions in the African Democratic Congress have taken the tussle for the leadership of the party to the Independent National Electoral Commission, as the Nafiu Bala-led camp seeks to take over the party.
Our correspondent learnt that Bala wrote to INEC, urging the commission to remove former Senate President David Mark and ex-Minister Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as Chairman and Secretary of the party, respectively.
This follows the rejection of an appeal filed by Mark against the decision of Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja in a suit instituted by Bala against the ADC national chairman.
Bala, a former Deputy National Chairman of the ADC, has been challenging the current party leadership, insisting that he was supposed to be the national chairman after the resignation of Ralph Nwosu, the former chairman.
But Justice Nwite, on September 4, 2025, rejected an ex parte motion filed by Bala, who had sought an order of the court directing INEC to derecognise Mark and Aregbesola as the new leaders of the party.
The judge also directed both Mark and Aregbesola to show cause why the injunction should not be granted, thereby putting them on notice to respond to the application.
Dissatisfied with the ruling, Mark filed a notice of appeal on September 18, 2025, challenging the decision on several legal grounds, including lack of jurisdiction.
However, on Tuesday, the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, registered as CA/ABJ/145/2026, on the grounds that it was procedurally incompetent, having been filed against an interlocutory directive without first obtaining the required leave of court.
The appellate court, led by Justice Uchechukwu Onyemenam, directed the parties to maintain the status quo pending the determination of the substantive suit before the Federal High Court.
Bala moves to take over party leadership
We correspondent gathered that following the pronouncement of the Court of Appeal, Bala approached INEC to recognise him as the national chairman of the ADC.
Bala, in a letter written to INEC by his counsel, Robert Emukpoeruo (SAN), urged the commission to uphold the Court of Appeal’s decision by ceasing to recognise the leadership of Mark and Aregbesola.
In the letter, dated March 16 and obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday, Emukpoeruo quoted the statement of the Court of Appeal, which reads, “That the parties are hereby directed to maintain the status quo ante bellum and shall refrain from taking any step or doing any act capable of foisting a fait accompli on the court or otherwise rendering nugatory the proceedings before the trial court.”
Emukpoeruo argued that the orders of the court are in two parts: one directing the maintenance of the status quo and another restraining any actions that could create a fait accompli or render proceedings before the trial court nugatory.
He urged members of the party to remain calm, law-abiding, and committed to the ideals and progress of the ADC.
Findings by our also revealed that a legal practitioner, Dr Sulaimon Usman (SAN), of Gamzaki Law Chambers in Abuja, had written to INEC to dismiss Bala’s claim, urging the commission not to entertain the prayers being sought.
Usman, in a letter dated March 16, 2026, and obtained by our correspondent said, “In the present circumstances, it would be consistent with the principles of constitutional order, judicial comity, and sound administrative prudence for the commission to refrain from recognising or acting upon any representation seeking to install or recognise any person as Acting National Chairman of the party pending the determination of the suit before the Federal High Court.
“This is particularly important given that the party presently operates under an existing leadership structure which emerged from the NEC meeting monitored by the Commission on July 29, 2025, and which remains the subsisting structure pending the determination of the court proceedings.”
Meanwhile, Abdullahi alleged that certain elements in the Presidency and the APC were mounting pressure on INEC to deregister the Mark-led National Working Committee members with a view to handing over the party’s structure to President Tinubu.
According to him, the game plan is to ensure that the ADC is not allowed to produce a presidential candidate so that Tinubu will run unopposed in the 2027 presidential election.
He said, “We have it on good authority that the INEC chairman is under serious pressure from the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress to stop the ADC, and they have mobilised most of his commissioners into the project.
“The plan is to ensure that all opposition leaders are locked down in the ADC and, at the last minute, announce its deregistration, thereby preventing opposition leaders from joining another party. We do not yet know how complicit the judiciary is in this plan.
“Tinubu does not want to run against anybody. He is afraid of contesting the election against individuals like Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi and other credible opposition figures.”
ADC making wild allegations, can’t gaslight INEC, says APC
Dismissing the allegation, the National Secretary of the APC, Ajibola Basiru, accused the ADC of making wild claims instead of addressing its internal crisis.
Basiru stated that it was irresponsible to accuse the Presidency and the APC of pressuring INEC to deregister the ADC when they are not parties to the litigation.
He said, “The Presidency and the APC are not parties to the suit in court. It was David Mark who went to the Court of Appeal, and the court said that the status quo ante bellum should be respected.
“One expects that any law-abiding organisation would respect the order of the appellate court rather than making red herrings and wild allegations against the Presidency or any other political party. We do not have any business with their litigation.
“If you decide to take over a party structure without due process, is that the business of the President or the APC? If you go to court and present a case that is not meritorious, is that the problem of the President?”
Basiru urged the ADC to obey the court decision even if it intends to appeal, warning that INEC should not be gaslighted into disobeying the court of law.
“Even if they disagree with the decision of the Court of Appeal, they should go to the Supreme Court. But until it is set aside, the order of the Court of Appeal that the status quo ante bellum should be maintained subsists.
“Any respectable organisation like INEC cannot be gaslighted into disobeying the order of the Court of Appeal. This shows part of their irresponsibility, lack of understanding of how the legal process works, and the propensity to always make wild allegations without any facts,” he added.
The APC national secretary absolved the party and the Presidency of the ADC crisis, saying: *“It is not our business. Our party is united and stronger. We do not have any business with their party, but they must obey the court of law, and INEC must also obey the court of law.
“You cannot gaslight INEC when there is a subsisting court order and then claim that the Presidency is putting pressure. The Presidency is too busy with serious matters to get involved in a political party that has not even taken off.”
