The ADC And Other Alliances

The political space is experiencing interesting times in the buildup to the 2027 general elections. It has been a regime of political permutations for and against the present status quo. The All-Progressive Congress (APC) has made tangible inroads in the political space, with 31 states in its kitty, amid allegations of working towards a one-party state in Nigeria. The APC leadership has constantly denied the allegations. As Nigerians look forward to the 2027 general elections, this newspaper recognizes the fact that the sustenance of democracy is sacrosanct.

Stakeholders in the country have frowned at the perceived tilt towards a one-party state in Nigeria; the demerits of a one-party state are grave, with its attendant consequences. This sentiment has been shared by several political parties, including the African Democratic Congress (ADC). As a newspaper, we share in this sentiment too. However, the move by the ADC to form alliances with other political parties appears to be a hasty enterprise. It raises a fundamental question on our development trajectory as a country, especially when political fluidity among the political players is rife.

For example, it is easy for a politician to decamp to another political party regardless of the ideology of the party. In such a situation, the quest for political survival surpasses providing credible leadership towards addressing the myriad socioeconomic challenges in the country. Again, it can be argued that in Nigeria, political parties do not campaign on the strength of ideology, but a continued rhetoric on fixing the country, albeit without a clear roadmap. The political actors are known faces who have traversed different political parties over decades. It is a regime of the same wine but in different bottles.

It is the position of this newspaper that the ADC has an urgent duty to fix its house. It is not the business of this newspaper to assess its means and methods; however, its trajectory has been mired in controversies since it was unveiled in July of 2025 at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja under an interim leadership led by Senator David Mark. This move has not been a smooth sail as issues have continually propped up, until the recent pronouncement by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While the move to enter alliances with other political parties to form a credible opposition to the APC is a welcome development, the issues to be dealt with are beyond entering new alliances. The ADC must focus on addressing the internal wranglings in the party. At the point of adoption as the opposition vehicle to challenge the APC, the handwriting on the wall indicated a move that was hurriedly put in place without closing all the gaps.

The APC as a political party is also duty-bound to play its politics by the rules. This is on the heels of several allegations of orchestrating division within the ranks of opposition political parties. Though these allegations remain in the realm of speculation, the lack of clear direction by the main opposition parties in Nigeria might lend credence to these allegations.

As a newspaper, we envisage a situation where the ADC puts its house in order before considering entering alliances with other political parties. If that is not done, the result would be an “overcrowded boat with people who don’t speak the same language”. This certainly would lead to chaos at the slightest prompting and an unnecessary heating of the polity in the attempt to justify their nomenclature as an opposition political party. This has been witnessed in recent times with the activities of the ADC and the rumours of entering new political alliances.

We are persuaded to posit that political parties must strive to project their ideologies and how they would lead to the betterment of the lives of Nigerians, instead of forming alliances that only seek to grab power rather than impact the lives of the people. The ADC example, though lofty in appearance, still has a lot of work to do in preparation for the 2027 general elections. And from all indications, it seems the ultimate desire of the party in the presidential elections. The question is, what about other elective positions like the Senate and the House of Representatives? It is the position of this newspaper that the ADC must prove through actions and not words that it is a credible alternative to the APC in the 2027 general elections.