2027: Ex- ADC chairman woos citizens, says Nigeria must rise, shine

From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja

In the run up to the 2027 general election, former National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Okey Nwosu, has admonished Nigerians to take total ownership of the party.

Nwosu, at the unveiling of the “One ADC Movement,” yesterday, in Abuja, said citizens must move from complaint to active political participation.

The former chairman, who expressed optimism that a citizen-driven ADC could play a defining role in the next electoral cycle, said the objective was to get Nigeria to rise and shine.

According to him,  “We say we don’t want to continue complaining. We don’t want to continue to complain. We have decided we will oblige the Nigerian citizens to own the ADC, so that there will be no more complaining. Let everybody take action.

“And the action is, instead of letting Nigeria to die in 2027, Nigeria must arise and shine. In 2027, Nigeria must arise and shine. And by the grace of God, now that the citizens of Nigeria have taken over the ADC, it’s not about who is the chairman, secretary, who is this or that.

“The leadership of the ADC has been very deliberate. They don’t want to stand on anybody’s face. They want the Nigerian citizens to take over the party.”

The National Coordinator of the movement, Lauretta  Onochie, in her address, said the initiative was a deliberate effort to reinforce solidarity across the party’s structures.

Onochie said: “This Movement was created to strengthen the bonds within the African Democratic Congress, encourage reconciliation where there are disagreements and remind every member that our collective future is greater than any individual ambition.

“We will promote unity across all structures of the party. We will encourage loyalty to the collective decisions of the party. We will support reconciliation after primaries and internal contests. We will discourage anti-party activities that weaken our shared platform. And we will mobilise Nigerians who believe in democratic values to join and strengthen the African Democratic Congress.”

She explained that the movement would channel its energy into youth participation, women’s empowerment and the strengthening of party structures across the country.

“We will engage young people. We will empower women. We will support party structures. And we will ensure that every member of the African Democratic Congress understands that their voice matters and their participation is essential,” she stated.