Abdulrahman Zakariyau

The National Working Committee of the African Democratic Congress, led by Interim National Chairman Senator David Mark, has assured the party’s state chairmen of their full inclusion in the opposition coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

This assurance was given during a meeting held on Thursday at the Abuja residence of the interim chairman.

The meeting brought together the ADC NWC, state chairmen, and selected stakeholders.

Recall that on July 2, 2023, the party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Dumebi Kachikwu, alongside some state chairmen, accused Mark and interim National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, of being imposed on the party, alleging they planned to oust some state chairmen.

However, speaking after the meeting, the party’s Interim National Spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, reaffirmed the leadership’s commitment to working closely with the state chapters.

He stated, “We have invited all the state chairmen to this meeting to reassure them that we don’t have any intention to push them away. Thirty-seven state chairmen, including that of the FCT, were present.

“The purpose is to dispel all kinds of falsehood and rumours circulating around the country—that we have come to take over this party and push them aside.

We don’t have any such intention. We are here to work with them as partners to build a stronger political party. “They are assured and will leave Abuja today more confident than they were yesterday that they are partners in this coalition-building process.”

Reacting to the comments made by Kachikwu, who had rejected the coalition and criticised the emergence of the new party leadership, Abdullahi said, “A presidential candidate is not an officer of the party. He is just a member. We are on solid legal ground, and if anyone has evidence that we violated our constitution, we are open to being challenged. No ADC member has disagreed with the process so far.”

Also speaking, ADC Forum Chairman and Kogi State Chairman, Kingsley Ogga, said they had been part of the coalition discussions from the beginning.

“We have been on this process for almost three years. We have been carried along on what they planned to do and how they intended to do it.

“We sat down together, deliberated together—that is how we reached this point. Everyone was carried along, and we support what is coming up now,” he said.

Other key figures present at the meeting included former Cross River State Governor, Liyel Imoke, former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, Senator Tunde Ogbeha, and former PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, among others.