ABUJA: The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that it can defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 presidential election without forming a coalition with other opposition parties.
ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, made the position known on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday while assessing the party’s prospects ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abdullahi said although a broad opposition alliance could improve the party’s chances, the ADC had reached the conclusion that a coalition was not essential to securing victory at the polls.
According to him, the opposition coalition initially being discussed was built on the assumption that bringing major opposition figures and parties together would make it easier to defeat the APC.
He explained that developments in the political landscape had since altered that calculation, particularly following the movement of some prominent opposition figures to other political platforms.
When we started building this coalition, we started on the assumption that if we are able to build a broad-based coalition, it would make our job of beating the APC easier. But that didn’t pan out the way we expected,” Abdullahi said.
He specifically cited former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, whom he described as one of the major figures associated with the opposition coalition, noting that Obi had moved to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Abdullahi also referred to former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, who he said would serve as Obi’s running mate.
One of the key players, leaders in the coalition, has gone to the NDC, and that’s His Excellency Peter Obi, and of course Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as his running mate. We are in the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
Despite the changes within the opposition camp, the ADC spokesman insisted that his party remained capable of winning the presidential election on its own.
What I’m saying is that we don’t need a coalition to win this election. The African Democratic Congress does not need a coalition to win this election,” Abdullahi stated.
He added that while a coalition could make the party’s task easier, it was not a condition for victory.
“If we are able to build the kind of coalition that we started, maybe it’ll make our job easier, but we don’t need that coalition. We don’t necessarily need the coalition to win the election, he said.
Abdullahi, however, indicated that the ADC had not completely shut the door on cooperation with other opposition parties.
He said discussions among opposition groups were still ongoing, but the focus had shifted from the earlier objective of producing a single presidential candidate to identifying areas where different parties could cooperate.
The development comes as Nigeria’s opposition parties intensify preparations for the 2027 presidential election, with several political blocs seeking to build structures capable of challenging the APC.
The ADC spokesman’s comments also highlight the changing dynamics within the opposition ahead of the election, as prominent politicians reassess their political alignments and strategies.
With the 2027 contest approaching, the ability of opposition parties to either unite behind a common platform or compete separately is expected to remain a major issue in Nigeria’s emerging electoral landscape.
