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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Dumebi Kachikwu has emerged as the consensus presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general election.
The newly elected National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Bashir, presented the party’s flag to Kachikwu on Sunday in Abuja during the ADC Special National Convention and Presidential Primary Election.
Bashir called for unity and strict adherence to the party’s constitution and the laws of Nigeria amid the party’s internal crisis.
He said the ADC was not a private enterprise and must continue to operate within democratic principles and established regulations.
According to him, the crisis within the party arose from attempts by certain individuals to dominate its leadership structure against the provisions of the party’s constitution.
“No individual is bigger than the party. Political parties must operate within the framework of the law,” he said.
Bashir described Kachikwu as an honest and intellectual person, saying he first met him during the screening of presidential aspirants in Abuja.
“I found him to be a very honest and intellectual person,” he said.
The ADC chairman said leadership required openness, inclusiveness and the ability to unite people despite differences.
“A good leader must carry the people along and work for togetherness. Politics is about dealing with all kinds of people – the good, the bad and the ugly,” he said.
He warned against selfishness and injustice within the party, saying such tendencies had contributed to divisions among members.
Bashir, however, reaffirmed the ADC’s commitment to providing strong opposition in the country despite its internal challenges.
According to him, Kachikwu had refused to escalate tensions within the party.
“We need to stop spreading the crisis, and it will not spread,” he said.
He pledged to reposition the party for greater relevance and appealed to aggrieved members to return to the fold.
In his acceptance speech, Kachikwu said Nigeria was at a critical point and called for a new national direction founded on justice, equity and inclusion.
He said many Nigerians were weighed down by hardship, insecurity and failed leadership, but expressed optimism that the country could still reverse its course.
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“The realities facing Nigeria today are already well known. Ours is a nation weighed down by insecurity, hardship and failed leadership.
“But I am here to tell Nigerians that even though our leaders have taken us to the brink, we can still reverse course,” he said.
Kachikwu described the average Nigerian as “the common man” burdened by the socio-economic and political elite, saying his ambition was driven by the need to restore hope to ordinary citizens.
“It is because of these people that I stand before you today to say: I accept your nomination to be the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate called for the end of politics based on ethnicity and religion, stressing that merit, competence and character should define leadership in the country.
“We are not merely groups from the North or the South. We are citizens of one indivisible Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he said.
Kachikwu also promised to promote transparency and accountability in government if elected.
According to him, one of his first engagements with the National Assembly would be the presentation of a proposed “Bill of Equality and Fairness”.
He said the bill would ensure that public officials use the same public services available to ordinary Nigerians.
“If you serve in public office, your family should use the same public schools as the people. No private or foreign schools funded by public resources.
“No private foreign hospitals while public hospitals collapse. No dependence on generators and boreholes while citizens suffer from poor electricity and water supply,” he said.
Earlier, Chairman of the ADC Board of Trustees, Prof. Kingsley Ogga, described the convention as a historic gathering that signified the survival, resilience and rebirth of the party.
Ogga said despite internal challenges, ADC members across the country remained loyal to the ideals and vision of the party.
“Today is proof that no matter the storm, a people united by vision can never be destroyed,” he said.
He urged party members to embrace unity, discipline, accountability and inclusiveness as the ADC repositioned itself ahead of future elections.
“The Nigerian people are tired of politics built on bitterness, selfish ambition, division and greed.
“They are searching for a political family founded on trust, dignity, compassion, competence and courage,” he said.
Ogga said the ADC remained committed to rebuilding trust and strengthening its structures to become a more credible political platform in the country.
