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By Lawrence Agbo
Former Minister of Sports and ADC National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, has assured that the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is fully prepared to welcome defectors and manage the challenges of the 2027 elections.
Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Abdullahi said the party is gaining strength and confidence despite internal challenges, noting that more Nigerians are showing interest in joining the ADC.
“A lot more people are growing more confident to join the party, having seen the direction that the party is going. Yet, there are still challenges, but we are confident that our party is waxing stronger by the day. So, the election is just a few months down the line, but we are very, very confident that we’ll do well in the election”, he said.
On Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe’s defection from APGA to ADC, Abdullahi dismissed criticisms as politically motivated, pointing out that Abaribe had been suspended by his former party and thus had the right to join another.
“You see, it’s part of the APC’s duplicitness. And why will I say this? When people decamp from NNPP to join APC, was there fractionalization within the NNPP? The answer is no. So, it’s okay when people join APC from whatever party, regardless of the situation in that party, but when they want to leave their original party to join ADC or any opposition party, then they begin to nitpick on this. And Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe has made it clear that APGA has suspended him since last year. So, effectively, as we speak, he does not have a political party. So, on what grounds will you deny him the right to find a political party that he wants?”
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“If he says that his party has suspended him and he does not have a political party and he chooses to go to ADC, so on what grounds will you say he cannot find a political party for himself? Does the constitution recognize independent candidates?” he asked.
He emphasized that the ADC is structurally ready to accommodate new members and handle electoral competitions, stressing that the party operates by formal rules in managing disputes.
“For the people coming to our party, we are more than ready to welcome them. It’s a big tent, and that’s why it’s a coalition, and we are hoping it will even get bigger. So we are inviting all opposition parties—that the only way we can present a formidable front as an opposition party is for everybody to come together as long as we believe in the same thing. So we are ready structurally, and we are ready in terms of our ability to manage the competitions that would arise ahead of 2027. We are prepared”, he declared.
Abdullahi also addressed claims of internal rifts, asserting that ADC leaders remain united and committed, and highlighted that the party’s strategic decisions, including zoning, will be made closer to the elections.
“They’ve been talking about this implosion from day one that ADC came about. ‘Oh, there’re bigwigs, everybody has an ambition, therefore the party is going to collapse when it gets to that point.’ But so far, everyone’s committing to the African Democratic Congress. Each of these bigwigs that you mentioned are committed to the African Democratic Congress because they know that what is at stake is big”, he concluded.
The ADC’s growing prominence, he noted, is evident from the attention it receives from the ruling APC, which underscores the party’s rising credibility as a serious opposition force.
