ADC Insists No Coalition Needed to Win 2027 Election, Says Atiku Will Defeat Tinubu
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has declared that it does not need a coalition with other opposition parties to win the 2027 presidential election, expressing full confidence in its presidential candidate, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, to defeat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, made this known during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday. He acknowledged that a broad-based opposition coalition was initially envisioned to make the task of unseating the APC easier, but the political landscape has since shifted. He noted that key figures who were part of the coalition, including Peter Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, have since moved to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) , leaving the ADC to chart its own course.
Despite this fragmentation, Abdullahi maintained that the ADC is capable of winning the 2027 election on its own strength. “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 stated. He further expressed belief that Atiku can single-handedly defeat Tinubu, arguing that many Nigerians are dissatisfied with the current administration’s performance over the last three years. “I believe so, and that’s our thinking, and that’s what we are working on,” Abdullahi said when asked directly if Atiku could defeat Tinubu without coalition support, framing the 2027 election as a referendum on the APC’s governance record.
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Abdullahi clarified that while the ADC is confident in its solo capacity, discussions among opposition parties are still ongoing, but the focus has shifted. The conversations are no longer primarily about producing a single consensus presidential candidate but rather about exploring areas of possible cooperation, such as developing a common protocol for election monitoring and protecting votes. He also referenced the G-100 initiative, which is seeking to bring various opposition parties together ahead of the polls, indicating that while a formal coalition may not materialize, collaborative efforts on electoral integrity remain on the table.
On policy matters, Abdullahi addressed Atiku’s stance on the contentious issue of fuel subsidy. He affirmed that Atiku plans to bring back the subsidy, challenging the APC to a public debate on the matter. Atiku has previously criticised the current administration’s handling of the subsidy removal, arguing that the savings have not been channeled into development or poverty alleviation. He has promised to restore the subsidy until local refineries are fixed and targeted palliatives are in place for the poor, a position that has drawn both praise and criticism from different quarters of the political spectrum.
However, the ADC’s position is complicated by internal factional disputes that threaten to undermine its electoral ambitions. A faction of the ADC, led by Nafiu Bala Gombe, has disowned Atiku’s candidacy, insisting that Professor Chris Uba is the party’s duly nominated presidential candidate. This faction has also stated that the ADC is not part of any alliance or coalition and warned Atiku to stop parading himself as the party’s flag bearer. This internal rift highlights significant challenges facing the opposition as it attempts to mount a credible challenge to the ruling APC, raising questions about whether the ADC can present a unified front in 2027 despite its public confidence in a solo run.