Following the formation of the new political coalition, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), some groups across the country have indicated their intention to collapse their structures into the new body to wrestle power from the ruling All Progressives Congress at the centre in 2027.
In Rivers, a political pressure group under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Rivers Liberation Movement (RLM), has collapsed its structure into the coalition.
Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, RLM’s leader, Dr. Leloonu Nwibubasa, said the group would also mobilise people of the state to ensure that the state was liberated from the shackles of poverty and under-development that had been foisted on it by those he called “conscienceless leaders”.
Nwibubasa thanked leaders of the state, including former Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo and Senator Lee Maeba as well as former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus and Sir Celestine Omehia, for fully identifying with the new coalition.
He said: “Well, this very morning, the stakeholders and leaders of Rivers Liberation Movement met and x-rayed the situation of our state and our nation.
“We felt the pulse of the nation vis-a-vis current political happenings and have decided that they will mobilise Rivers people from now and beyond to ensure that Rivers State is liberated from the shackles of poverty and under-developmemt that have been foisted on us by conscienceless leaders.
“Therefore, we are glad that in Nigeria today, a coalition has arrived to liberate Nigeria and Rivers State needs this liberation even more.”
The ADC in Adamawa State has also welcomed new members from the Nigeria National Opposition Coalition and reaffirmed its legitimacy and unity of its current leadership structure.
The state chairman of the party, Mr Shehu Yohanna, made this known at a press conference in Yola yesterday.
Yohanna said the party remained united, strong and committed to its ideals, and dismissed rumours of any resignation or dissolution within its structure.
“The current leadership of the ADC in Adamawa State remains intact, no one has resigned and no structure has been dissolved.
“Our tenure runs till Dec. 2026, and we are focused on consolidating our gains and preparing for victory in the 2027 general elections,” he said.
He welcomed members of the Nigeria National Opposition Coalition who recently adopted the ADC as their political platform.
He described the development as a testament to the party’s growing influence in the country.
A former commissioner for information in Anambra State, Chief JoeMartin Uzodike, described the emergence of a coalition political party as “healthy” for democracy.
Uzodike told newsmen in Awka yesterday that no country could claim to be in a democracy where there was no effective opposition.
He said the ruling party should be happy with the existence of a good opposition because it would make them feel the pulse of the masses and give their best at all times.
“The Africa Democratic Congress coalition is a very welcome development. You cannot pretend to be in a democracy where the people do not have a voice through an opposition.
“It is something that every Nigerian, including the government, should welcome and support, because it has enriched conversation on governance and our democratic experience; you see the reactions everywhere.
“Anybody against the coalition is either jealous or afraid; the coalition is good for the people.
“It is good for the government because they now know that people are watching them and will speak up when things go wrong,” he said.
Uzodike said the coalition had made ADC another formidable force in the Nov. 8 governorship election in Anambra.
Members of the African Democracy Congress, (ADC) in Kogi State have declared their interest to join the new coalition.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP in Lokoja, a senior member of the ADC, Comrade Gowon Yakubu, said the ADC was the receiving party for the coalition and so can’t afford not to join.
“The coalition members are using our platform. As it stands today, we are the receiving party, so we cannot afford not to join,” he said.
Majority of members of the major opposition parties in Borno State, the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) are resigning to join the the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Prominent among the leaders of the PDP in Borno who are on the coalition’s list is the former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2019 governorship election in the state, Alhaji Idris Durkwa who decamped to the PDP after the election. A former NNPP governorship and senatorial candidate in the 2019 and the 2023 elections in Borno, Hon. Atom Magira is also in the list.
Similarly, a former APC gubernatorial candidate who later decamped to NNPP, Umaru Nasko, is also said to be a strong force in the coalition. This is in addition to numerous PDP and NNPP supporters that have shifted tent to the coalition.
There are also top politicians from the ruling APC who are already holding meetings with members of the coalition in the state.
Our correspondent sighted resignation letters of several ward leaders of the two political parties, the NNPP and the PDP, notifying their parties of their resignation.
In Enugu, although a new political association identified as Progressives Group has not formally announced its intention to join the coalition, the group has congratulated the national leadership for adopting the ADC as a political platform with the intention of challenging the APC in 2027.
The group is led by the immediate past chairman of the APC in the state, Dr. Ben Nwoye, who recently dumped the APC to lead the progressives group.
The group noted that strong opposition party was a necessary ingredient of true democracy that would entrench good governance in Nigeria.
The group congratulated the coalition in a communique it issued at its second zonal meeting held at Iwolo, Ezeagu local government area of the state.
A death kneel awaits the PDP in Sokoto as many members of the party are on their way to join the new coalition, our correspondent reported.
Investigations revealed that the bulk of members of the party in Sokoto are only waiting for the switch-over signal from Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, who is the leader of the party in the state.
Tambuwal, who the immediate past governor of the state, is a leading figure of the coalition.
A party source said, “It is true that we are leaving PDP for a new party, where we will have the benefit of robust politicking.
“You will agree that the APC, with their foot soldiers within the party, have destroyed the PDP. So, there is no more PDP, except the carcass.”
However, a former member of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Sir Jude Idimogu, says he does not see the coalition being floated by a former PDP Presidential Candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and others stopping the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
Idimogu, the deputy leader, Ndigbo in Lagos APC, spoke with newsmen in Lagos yesterday.
He said the adoption of ADC to challenge the president’s re-election in 2027 would not achieve much.
The ex-lawmaker, however, said he had nothing against the adoption of ADC by Atiku and others as “everyone has the freedom to join any political association to find space and relevance,”
Idimogu said, “APC is a very big party and it will be very hard for any party or even coalition to defeat it in 2027. The party has a lot of notable men and women.”
Similarly, the director general of Delta State Bureau for Communications and Orientation, Barr. Fred Latimore Oghenesivbe, said the coalition cannot stop President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori in 2027.
He made the assertion weekend during a public affairs radio program monitored in Asaba, the state capital.
He cited good governance, prudent management of public resources and commitment to economic growth and development as the basis for their foreseeable resounding victory.
He said the coalition would not be potent in Delta state, assuring that President Bola Tinubu and Governor Sheriff Oborevwori would sweep the polls in 2027.
The Ekiti State chapter of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) however has said it had not been briefed by the national leadership of the party on its stance about joining the raging political coalition against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The SDP chairman in the state, Mr Bamkole Ayodele while speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend in Ado Ado-Ekiti, the state capital said they were waiting for the national headquarters of our party.
In his response, the Chairman of New Nigeria People Party (NNPP), Chief Ade Ayeni, said the party had no plan of joining the ADC.
Chairman of the ADC in Zamfara State, Kabiru Garba Gusau, said more people were trooping daily to join the party across the state.
Addressing journalists in Gusau yesterday, he said since the coalition party emerged, people from different political parties including the APC, PDP, APGA and others were leaving their former parties in groups to join ADP in the state.
“Between yesterday (Thursday) and today Friday, we received not more than 500 people, all supporters from different political parties in Zamfara.
The chairman further explained that ADC is the only political party that would defeat the APC to form the next government from federal to state level in the 2027 general elections.
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