The leadership of the opposition coalition has instructed its members to resign from their current political parties and officially join the African Democratic Congress (ADC), though no specific deadline was set for the transition.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, disclosed this to reporters in Abuja on Thursday after a caucus meeting attended by senior party leaders and prominent political figures.
Since the ADC was unveiled on July 2 as the coalition platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections, a few opposition leaders have defected to the party, while many others are yet to formalize their membership.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, for example, has exited the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) but has not officially joined the ADC. Similarly, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and several others still retain their memberships in their original parties despite their involvement with the coalition.
Abdullahi explained that all issues surrounding the African Democratic Association (ADA) had been resolved. “Though a final directive has been given for members to resign from other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline,” he said. “The coalition has rested everything concerning the ADA, meaning they are no longer pursuing its registration or otherwise. All the presidential aspirants have also agreed to support whoever emerges from the primary election.”
He added that the National Working Committee will soon release the schedule for primary elections in Osun and Ekiti States ahead of the forthcoming off-cycle governorship polls.
Those present at the meeting included ADC National Chairman David Mark; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar; National Secretary Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola; former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai; former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; former Kwara State governor, Abdulfatai Ahmed; and former Rivers State governor, Chibuike Amaechi. However, Peter Obi was notably absent.
