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Profile of ADC, why opposition leaders choose am as di rival party for 2027?
All eyes for Nigeria now don turn to di African Democratic Congress (ADC) afta di political party emerge as di anchor party for di opposition coalition to try to remove President Bola Tinubu from office for di 2027 general election.
Di official announcement happun on Wednesday for di Shehu Yar'Adua Centre for Abuja, wia dem also announce former Senate President David Mark, and former govnor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola as interim national chairman and secretary of di party.
Dis na di most ogbonge move wey di opposition politicians don make so far since di tok-tok about a possible joinbodi start.
However, many pipo still get questions about dis ADC party, how e come into existence, dia performance for former elections, and why dem chose am as di vehicle wey go carry di coalition.
ADC brief history
Founded in 2005 as di Alliance for Democratic Change by Mr Ralph Nwosu - a politician from Awka, Anambra State, in di southeast region of Nigeria - di party later change dia name to African Democratic Congress and dia slogan na 'Arise and Shine Nigeria'.
Inec register dem in 2006 ahead of di 2007 general elections wia di party bin get candidates but dem no win any position. Dia first presidential candidate na Professor Pat Utormi who get just about 50,849 votes for dat election.
Dia first win bin come in di 2011 elections wia dem win some five seats for di National Assembly.
From di 2007 general election till date, di ADC don dey field presidential candidates for each election, as follows:
- Patrick Utomi - 2007
- Rev Peter Uchenna Nwangwu - 2011
- Dr. Mani Ibrahim Ahmad - 2015
- Obadiah Mailafia - 2019
- Dumebi Kachikwu - 2023
Di ADC primary election for di 2023 general election bin cause plenty controversy as two big aspirants - former deputy guvnor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Kingsley Moghalu and Dumebi Kachikwu.
Eventually, Kachikwu win di primary and contest di election wia e get only 78,930 votes.
Crisis in di ADC
Like many political parties for Nigeria, di ADC dey also go through serious gbege wey many political sabi pipo say e fit affect dis new opposition joinbodi.
In 2022, Justice Binta Nyako of di federal high court Abuja bin sack Ralph Nwosu as di national chairman of di ADC, and pronounce one Ms Patricia Akwashiki as di authentic National Chairman of the party.
Di judge also grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining oga Nwosu and im National Working Committee from parading diasef di National Chairman and NWC members of di party.
Even though oga Nwosu bin appeal di judgement, e no dey clear weda di higher court bin reverse di decision.
Already, Ibe Kachikwu, presidential candidate of di ADC in 2023 don tok say Ralph Nwosu no be di national chairman of di ADC and say di opposition joinbodi wey e dey lead no go get head.
Kachikwu say e go challenge di "hijack" of di ADC by "some old politicians" for court.
APC mock di joinbodi
Di ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), who bin win power in 2015 sake of a similar joinbodi of different opposition parties, don wave off dis ADC movement and describe am as a joke.
Bayo Onanuga, di tok-tok pesin for President Tinubu, say di former APC politicians wey join di ADC na pipo wey bin don comot for di party years ago sake of dia personal interests.
"Diz politicians na desperados, hungry for power, not for di benefit of Nigerians but for diasef. Dem want power at all costs because dem no fit endure anoda four years for di political wilderness ..."
Anoda big APC member and di Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, say dis ADC joinbodi tin na di best pathway for APC to retain power by di next general elections.
Keyamo say di law forbid one pesin to be member of two political parties di same time, so di politicians wey embrace di ADC don already disqualify demsef from di elections.
"Wen di dust go settle, you go discover say di PDP and di Labour Party don lose sometin, di ADC only gain sometin wey be like caricature, but di APC lose absolutely notin," Keyamo tok.
E continue say: "Wetin all of dis mean be say since di 2023 elections, di APC don dey stronger, but di opposition parties don dey fragmented and bicom weaker.
Evribodi gatz make sacrifices - Peter Obi
Presidential candidate of di Labour Party for di 2023 election, Mr Peter Obi, bin dey present for di event on Wednesday wia dem unveil di opposition coalition.
However, e no dey clear weda he go now resign from im Labour Party and join di ADC.
Obi tok for a post on im X handle say di commitment of di joinbodi group na "to sacrifice and work together towards di 2027 General Elections, to make sure say Nigeria go get competent, capable, and compassionate leadership".
"No one group fit change Nigeria alone. To dismantle di structures wey don keep our pipo for poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even wen dose bridges no dey easy," Obi tok.
Meanwhile, former Minister of Transport Chibuike Amaechi don announce im resignation from di APC to join di ADC.
Amaechi who bin contest di APC presidential ticket wit Tinubu, tell tori pipo say e resign from di APC on Tuesday, and even bifor den, e neva attend dia meeting.
"Di last time dem invite me to dia meeting, I cut dem warning," Amechi tok. "I bin neva believe say Tinubu na material to govern di kontri.
"Nigeria don dey completely destroyed. Pipo no fit eat. Money no dey to buy food. Evritin don scatter. Inflation dey very high. And di federal goment dey busy going around trying to hijack di election," Amaech tok.