The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has firmly rejected any possibility of surrendering its political structure to high-profile aspirants seeking the party’s presidential ticket for the 2027 general elections.
Former APC National Vice Chairman and key figure in the anti-Tinubu coalition, Salihu Lukman, made this declaration Tuesday during an appearance on Jigsaw, a political program on African Independent Television (AIT).
The statement comes amid growing speculation that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi may seek the ADC ticket, alongside former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, who has already declared his interest in the party’s presidential nomination.
Lukman emphasized that while the party welcomes credible individuals, it refuses to compromise its organizational integrity for any aspirant, regardless of their political stature.
“What we are telling everybody in the coalition is that the structures of the party will not be handed over to aspiring candidates,” Lukman stated.
He explained that the party’s strategy focuses on building robust structures capable of regulating the conduct of all members, including aspiring candidates and elected representatives once they assume office.
“We have to build the structures of the party in such a way that the party is strong enough and can regulate the conduct of everybody, not just aspiring candidates, but even elected representatives when they win office and assume positions,” he added.
Addressing the legal processes involved in establishing ADC as the coalition’s political platform, Lukman revealed extensive negotiations with multiple parties, including comprehensive legal due diligence on leadership status and pending litigations.
“We opened negotiations with a wide range of parties and we went through processes including conducting legal due diligence on the status of both the leadership and if there were any pending litigations,” he explained.
The former APC vice chairman disclosed that ADC’s 2023 presidential candidate, Dumebi Kachikwu, is no longer a party member, having been expelled along with approximately 15 others according to INEC records.
Lukman stressed that the coalition’s approach differs from conventional political takeovers, emphasizing structure-building over immediate candidate production.
“We are not approaching this activity based on the conventional process of just going to hijack a structure and begin to organize it in such a way we produce candidates,” he said.
He urged coalition leaders to continue suspending expressions of their presidential ambitions until proper party structures are established, warning against producing “another disappointment” or “unaccountable leaders.”
Lukman also revealed that the All Democratic Alliance (ADA) and ADC represent the same coalition decision, with both initiatives aimed at ensuring Nigerians have electoral alternatives beyond the ruling APC.
“We are not going to allow a situation where the country is set up for a one-party state,” he concluded.
