The African Democratic Congress (ADC) says it does not need a broad opposition coalition to defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, insisting that its candidate, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, is capable of winning on his own.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the assertion during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he discussed the party’s strategy and prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Mr Abdullahi, the ADC initially believed that bringing opposition parties together under a broad coalition would make it easier to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). However, he said the political landscape had changed following the departure of some major figures from the coalition arrangement.
He maintained that although a wider alliance could strengthen the opposition’s chances, it was not essential to the ADC’s electoral strategy.
“We don’t need a coalition to win this election. The African Democratic Congress does not need a coalition to win this election,” Mr Abdullahi said.
Asked whether Atiku could defeat President Tinubu without relying on other major opposition figures, the ADC spokesman expressed confidence in the former vice-president’s chances.
“I believe so, and that’s our thinking, and that’s what we are working on,” he said.
The comments come amid changes within Nigeria’s opposition camp, following the collapse of an earlier effort to unite several prominent opposition figures under the ADC platform.
The coalition had attracted politicians including Atiku, Peter Obi, Nasir El-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, among others, in an attempt to present a formidable challenge to the APC and President Tinubu in 2027. However, Mr Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso subsequently moved to the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where they are now pursuing a separate political platform.
Despite the setbacks, the ADC says dialogue with other opposition parties remains open.
Mr Abdullahi said the focus of those discussions was no longer necessarily on producing a single presidential candidate, but on identifying areas where opposition parties could work together.
One such area, he said, was election monitoring and protecting votes during the 2027 polls.
“For example, if we are able to develop a common protocol for election monitoring and for policing our votes, that is major,” he said.
The ADC spokesman also argued that voters’ experiences under the Tinubu administration could play a decisive role in the election, suggesting that some Nigerians who supported the president in 2023 could change their allegiance in 2027.
The party’s position marks a shift from its earlier emphasis on building a broad opposition alliance, while underscoring its confidence in Atiku as its principal challenger to President Tinubu.
With the 2027 election approaching, the evolving alliances among Nigeria’s opposition parties are expected to remain a major feature of the political landscape.
