Leadership of the African Democratic Congress Faces Pushback Over New Directive
The leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has recently faced criticism from the Obidient Movement, which is challenging the party’s new directive for coalition leaders. This comes as the ADC continues to navigate internal challenges and external pressures from key figures within the opposition.
Since July, when the ADC was adopted by the national coalition as its official platform to challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027, the party has struggled with indecision among some of the coalition’s leading figures. Despite publicly pledging support for the ADC and attending meetings with its leadership, prominent opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, have yet to formally switch allegiance.
Atiku resigned his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party on July 14, 2025, but more than two months later, he has yet to pick up an ADC membership card. He had been scheduled to do so at an event on August 6 in his hometown in Adamawa State, but the program was postponed indefinitely. Meanwhile, reports suggest that Obi has begun high-level consultations for his 2027 presidential bid, with an announcement on his political platform expected in November.
A senior insider in Obi’s camp disclosed that his formal declaration would determine whether he would remain in the Labour Party or join the ADC. However, the coalition leadership expressed frustration over what it described as prolonged hesitation. On Thursday, the coalition directed all members to resign from their political parties and fully embrace the ADC, though no specific timeline was set.
The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, conveyed the decision in a statement in Abuja, stating that it was taken at a caucus meeting attended by senior party leaders and prominent political figures. He emphasized that while the final order has been given to all members to resign from other political parties, the caucus was silent on the timeline. The coalition has rested everything concerning the African Democratic Association, meaning they are not interested in the registration or otherwise of the association. All the presidential aspirants have agreed to support whoever wins the primaries.
However, the directive immediately drew pushback from the Obidient Movement, which warned that Obi would not be stampeded into abandoning the Labour Party for the ADC without clarity on issues of equity, fairness, and zoning. In a statement, the movement’s National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, insisted that Obi’s political alignment had never been about desperation for power. He highlighted that Obi’s ultimate mission is to see Nigeria work—to lift people out of poverty, improve the economy, education, healthcare, and security.
The group also questioned why the ADC appeared to be altering resolutions already adopted by the coalition, particularly on zoning and the sharing of principal offices. It stressed that Obi, as a leader with a broad constituency, must consult widely before taking any major step.
Despite this, the ADC leadership and some chieftains of the party defended the directive, saying the Obidients either misunderstood the party or based their comment on preconceived biases. Speaking to Sunday PUNCH, the Spokesperson of the ADC, Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that the party has never compelled any member of the coalition to join its fold. He added that the comments by some Obidients should not be taken as Obi’s personal stance.
A member of the ADC Publicity Committee, Dr Ladan Salihu, during a Friday interview on Arise Television, stressed that the fresh directive was not targeted at Obi or the Labour Party alone, but extended to all political heavyweights willing to join forces. He explained that the party was determined to avoid complacency, emphasizing that the ADC must provide clear direction and convince Nigerians it could deliver not just change, but the kind of transformation citizens had long yearned for.
In Lagos, an ADC chieftain, Tai Benedict, condemned the Obidients’ push back, stating that they can’t make decisions for the party. He urged Peter Obi to make a decision regarding joining the ADC. Benedict said, “Atiku knows what he is doing. Obi is very fortunate. Obidients can’t have it the way they had it in 2023.”
Meanwhile, the spokesman of the political coalition in Kaduna State, Darius Kurah, urged the Obi’s camp to take advantage of the directive to join the ADC ahead of future elections. He maintained that the order was a “timely call” that could change the dynamics of Nigeria’s political landscape if heeded by Obi’s supporters and other opposition groups.
The Gombe ADC Chairman, Auwal Barde, also warned that the coalition would not tolerate further disregard. He stated, “It’s either Peter Obi and his followers are in or they are out.”
