The newly formed African Democratic Congress has clarified that Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, and former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, have been exempted from defecting from their current political platforms ahead of the 2027 polls.
The interim National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, confirmed the development in an exclusive phone interview with our correspondent on Wednesday.
His clarification followed a stern warning issued on Tuesday by the interim National Chairman of the ADC, David Mark, who insisted that the party under his watch would brook no form of anti-party activities or indiscipline.
Mark, while addressing members of the party in Abuja, declared that “There will be zero tolerance for anti-party and any form of indiscipline; you are either in ADC or not in ADC. No mid-way in this business, and those not with us, we will not carry them along.
“Those who are not totally committed will not be carried along. We shall reverse our grassroots leadership structures to reflect modern realities from the polling units upwards to the national level. Every organ reenergised.
“We will open the gates for the next generations, our policies, nominations and roles will reflect such.”
The ADC, which was recently adopted as the flagship platform of the opposition coalition, is widely believed to be courting Obi and other influential politicians who have yet to formally declare for the party.
But the camp of the former Anambra State governor dismissed fears over Mark’s warning, insisting that their principal had already clarified his position to the coalition leaders.
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide, Dr Yunusa Tanko, told our correspondent that Obi would not be stampeded into taking any irrational decision.
He said, “Even before we got into the issue of the coalition, our principal has made his position known ab initio, that he is still a Labour man and the coalition that he joined is for 2027.
“Obi actually made that clear when the coalition was at the formation stage. So we don’t see it as anything because we already made our position known right from the beginning.”
When contacted to confirm Tanko’s position, Abdullahi affirmed that both Obi and El-Rufai had been granted a waiver to remain in their legacy parties for now.
He explained: “Absolutely! Obi is correct. This applies to himself and Nasir (El-Rufai). This is because their supporters and allies have obtained forms to contest the election in their legacy parties.
“So we cannot ask them to defect. It will affect the structures of those following them. They were therefore granted a concession to remain in their parties until after the election.
“In a nutshell, they requested a concession and they were granted.”
Meanwhile, Obi has distanced himself from the viral separate statements currently making the rounds on social media and online platforms.
His media aide, Umar Ibrahim, clarified in a press release on Wednesday.
One of the viral statements allegedly claimed Obi denied returning to the Peoples Democratic Party and reaffirmed his commitment to the African Democratic Congress.
The other suggested that he had been offered the position of National Organising Secretary in the ADC.
Ibrahim, however, clarified that neither of the two purported statements originated from Obi or his media office.
He said, “Peter Obi has been unequivocal in his position in the ongoing coalition and didn’t need anyone to put words into his mouth.”
“He has remained focused on his mission but would not accept anybody attributing a statement to him just to satisfy their devious agenda.”
The former Anambra governor, who has remained a subject of widespread political speculation, continues to stay focused on his mission to build “a new Nigeria of our dreams.”
The media office, therefore, urged the public to “disregard any statement purported to come from him outside his media office or his official handle.”
The Minority Whip of the House of Representatives, Ali Isa, on Tuesday, resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party, citing internal crisis and alleged undemocratic practices within the party.
In a resignation letter April 14, 2026, and addressed to the Chairman of Kindiyo Ward in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State, Isa said his decision takes immediate effect.
He stated that his exit was “compelled by the way and manner some undemocratic forces have hijacked the party for reasons that are contrary to the founding principles and philosophy of the party, which created a factional leadership.”
The lawmaker, who represents Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency, said he took the decision after wide consultations with key stakeholders.
“After a series of rigorous consultations with my family, political associates, friends, and relevant stakeholders, I have arrived at the conclusion that the path to my political future, as well as the political future of the great people who gave me their mandate, lies outside the PDP,” he said.
Isa added that his priority remains the welfare and political future of his constituents, noting that they deserve a more viable platform.
“It is my firm belief that the people of my constituency deserve a platform on which their interests and political future will be better guaranteed,” he stated.
He, however, thanked the PDP for the opportunity to serve.
“I wish to sincerely thank the leadership and membership of the party for giving me the platform on which the people of Balanga/Billiri Federal Constituency gave me the wonderful opportunity to represent them at the National Assembly. I will ever remain grateful and wish you all the best,” he added.
Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, has said Nigeria’s insecurity can be decisively tackled within six months if the federal government shows sufficient commitment.
Ndume made the assertion on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he expressed concern over renewed violence in the North-East.
According to the lawmaker, ending insecurity requires decisive action, improved military capacity and strong political will.
He said, “It is not about complaining. It is not about asking somebody like me, as a senator, to say why these things. I always believe that if the President and the Federal Government of Nigeria are serious about this, we can end this thing (insecurity) in six months.
“All we need is to train our soldiers, equip them, arm them very well, and then motivate them.”
Ndume also decried the continued loss of military personnel, including senior officers, describing the trend as alarming and indicative of deeper operational challenges. He added that the army is not sufficiently equipped and the morale is down.
Our correspondent had reported that Brigadier General Oseni Braimah was killed on April 9, 2026, in a midnight attack by terrorists on the 29 Task Force Brigade Headquarters in Benisheikh, Borno State. Also on Monday, a colonel and six soldiers were killed by Boko Haram insurgents the state.
The senator further blamed the worsening security situation on inconsistent implementation of strategies, urging authorities to match words with action.
“We have to be very serious about this matter; we have to walk the talk,” he said.
On foreign support, Ndume emphasised the need for intelligence, technology and specialised expertise rather than reliance on external forces. He noted that Nigeria lacks adequate drone capacity and called for increased deployment of technology-driven solutions, citing examples from Burkina Faso.
“We have some capable hands on the ground; all they need is equipment, ammunition and motivation. We don’t have enough drones.
“Look at what Burkina Faso is doing; it is technology. We can use it to finish or minimise this within the shortest possible time. If we deploy drones, we have our youths that are specialists and designing it.
“In Borno, if you deploy surveillance cameras, you can see everything that is happening. In these days, you can put up surveillance cameras that can go 100 metres. Once we can escalate our military assets in Borno and everywhere, that will go a long way to reduce our problem.”
Ndume also commended Babagana Zulum for his efforts in stabilising parts of Borno State, noting that the situation would have been worse without his interventions.
“If not for the efforts of Prof Babagana Zulum (the governor) in complementing the efforts of the military in the state, Borno State would have gone down,” he said.
The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), led by former Senate President David Mark, has approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking to overturn a decision by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that removed key party officials from its records.
INEC had, on April 1, deleted the names of Mark as National Chairman and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as National Secretary from its official website and portal, a move that has deepened the party’s internal crisis.
In a motion filed on April 7 by his counsel, Sulaiman Usman (SAN), Mark urged Justice Emeka Nwite to grant a mandatory injunction compelling INEC to restore the names of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) members pending the determination of the substantive suit.
He also asked the court to set aside INEC’s refusal to monitor or attend the ADC’s congresses and convention, arguing that such actions undermine the party’s operations
Specifically, Mark is seeking an order directing INEC to immediately reinstate and maintain the names of himself, Aregbesola, and other members of the National Executive Committee in its official records. He further requested that the court restrain the electoral body from recognising or acting on any rival leadership claims until the case is resolved.
The application follows a March 12 judgment of the Court of Appeal in a suit filed by Nafiu Bala Gombe. Mark’s legal team argued that the appellate court had ordered all parties to maintain the “status quo ante bellum”—the last uncontested state of affairs before the dispute began.
According to Usman, as of September 2, 2025, when the suit was instituted, Mark was the duly recognised National Chairman of the party, and the leadership structure in question was already in place.
He added that the plaintiff had resigned from his previous position and no longer held any role within the ADC at the time, insisting that INEC’s actions disrupted an already established leadership order.
The court is expected to determine whether to grant the interim reliefs while the substantive case continues.